Occupying an important position on the country's map, Orissa's rich mineral reserves constitute 28% Iron ore, 24% coal, 59% Bauxite and 98% Chromite of India's total deposits. The state's comparative advantage on this account has attracted the attention of many mining and metallurgical companies. In Orissa, industrialization started shortly after independence. The oldest industries in the state were coalmines at Talcher and Ib valley and paper mills at Choudwar and Brajrajnagar. After nationalization of coal in 1975 and the national policy on energy sector many power plants were set up. As a result, the Talcher-Angul area has become the power house of the state. Major industries in Orissa at the moment include an integrated steel plant at Rourkela , NALCO (National Aluminium Company Ltd.), Thermal power plants, Fertilizer plants, Pulp and paper industries, Ferro alloys plants, cement plants etc. The industrial growth in the state has mostly taken place in the areas where raw materials, water and power are available. The state can be divided into twelve industrially active zones / areas namely:

•  Rajgangpur Area (Iron & Steel, Sponge Iron, Cement, Secondary steel. Melting and rolling mill & refractories and chemicals).

•  Ib valley area (Thermal power, Sponge iron, refractories, and coal mines)

•  Hirakud area (Aluminum & rolling mills)

•  Talcher-Angul area (Thermal power, Aluminum, Coal washeries, Ferro alloys, Coal mines).

•  Choudwar area (Ferro alloys, Thermal power, pulp and paper, coke oven)

•  Balasore area (pulp and paper, ferro alloys, rubber industries)

•  Chandikhol (stone crusher, coke oven)

•  Duburi (Integrated steel, ferro alloys, rubber industries)

•  Paradeep area (fertilizer, sea food processing, petroleum coke)

•  Khurda – Tapang area (stone crusher)

•  Joda – Barbil area (iron, sponge iron, ferro alloys, iron ore crusher, mineral processing).

•  Rayagada area (pulp and paper, ferro alloys).

Total 2461 industries in large, medium and small scale are operating in the state. 47 nos. of industries are under 17 categories of polluting industries are operating in the state.

As per the latest record, 4511 nos. of small scale units have been set up during 2004-05.

Besides the reserves of major minerals like chromite, nickel, bauxite, iron-ore and coal; other minerals like china clay, fire clay, limestone, quartz, precious and semi precious stones, copper, manganese, graphic, vanadium etc. are also available in the state.

Iron ore is abundantly available in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Jajpur. While chromite is mostly available in Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar districts, manganese deposits are available in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts. Dolomite is available plentily only in the district of Sundargarh. There are two major coal bearing area in the state which are currently being exploited namely Talcher and the Ib valley. As per the latest estimation the total reserve of coal in the state is 51571 million tonne followed by iron ore (4177 million tonne), limestone (2224 million tonne) and bauxite (1530 million tonne) in Orissa.

The total number of mining leases in the state as on 31.03.2004 was 607 covering an area of 101947 hectares.