Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 7 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday announced that actress Madhuri Dixit has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the state handloom industry on the occasion of the 11th National Handloom Day.

CM Majhi also extended greetings for the 11th National Handloom Day.

'On the occasion of the 11th National Handloom Day, we extend our heartfelt congratulations. Today, actress Madhuri Dixit has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the state handloom industry. Efforts will be made to promote over 1,30,000 weavers of Odisha. The EKTA Expo will run for 7 days. Today, weavers were also honoured,' the Odisha CM told mediapersons.

A day earlier, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy met with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who called on him in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The meeting focused on advancing key projects and strategic collaborations to strengthen Odisha's leadership in India's steel sector.

Kumaraswamy highlighted the pivotal role Odisha plays in India's steel production capacity and reiterated the Centre's full commitment to accelerating growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A major point of discussion was the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant, a critical facility under SAIL. The Union Minister assured the Chief Minister that the Ministry would extend all necessary support to resolve bottlenecks and scale up production capacity, helping transform Rourkela into a world-class steel hub.

The meeting also saw deliberations on developing new iron ore mines across the state to ensure sustained raw material supply. Shri Kumaraswamy underlined that secure and efficient access to iron ore is essential to power both public and private sector steel plants and to maintain India's competitive edge globally.

The discussion concluded with a shared vision to make Odisha a model state for industrial growth, mineral development, and steel excellence, contributing meaningfully to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Viksit Bharat @2047 and PM Modi's vision of 300 MTPA by 2030. (ANI)