Hyderabad: Godrej Agrovet Limited on Monday inaugurated India’s first integrated oil palm complex, spread over 130 acres in Khammam, bringing seed development, nursery operations, research, milling and a planned refinery into a single facility as part of a Rs 300 crore cumulative investment.The complex was inaugurated by Telangana deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, in the presence of industries and IT minister D Sridhar Babu as well as other ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao, Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy and senior Godrej executives including Nadir Godrej, Burjis Godrej and Godrej Agrovet managing director and CEO Sunil Kataria.Bhatti Vikramarka said the project would support Telangana’s oil palm mission and help the state become a leading edible oil producer, while strengthening India’s edible oil security. Burjis Godrej said the facility reflected the company’s commitment to building a self-reliant edible oil economy.Kataria said the Khammam complex includes a first-of-its-kind seed garden developed with global partners to bring advanced oil palm genetics to India. The R&D centre will work on hybrid planting material suited to Telangana’s climate.He said the first private-sector oil palm mill in the state has begun operations with a capacity of 30 tonnes per hour and can be expanded to 60 tonnes per hour with the setting up of the second mill in the same complex.Kataria said the facility will support plans to increase its oil palm plantation area in Telangana from 10,000 hectares to 30,000 hectares by 2030.The site also includes a Samadhan Centre offering farmers advisory services, inputs and other support to improve productivity, processing consistency and farmer engagement across Telangana.
