78th Independence Day: Priya Agarwal Hebbar launches Phase 3 of Women-Exclusive Night Shift Project at Vedanta Aluminium
19th August 2024
- The initiative, titled Project Shree Shakti, empowers women employees with the freedom of flexible work hours and the assurance of a safe and trusted work environment
New Delhi; 19 August 2024: On India’s 78th Independence Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, has launched Phase Three of Project Shree Shakti, a pioneering initiative to induct women employees into the night shift at its smelter operations in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The latest phase of this project, first of its kind within the state’s metals and manufacturing industry, was launched by Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director of Vedanta Limited and Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc. It will enable women employees to have greater flexibility to work at their preferred hours, and also take on critical roles in core plant operations. The initiative underscores Vedanta Aluminium’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable workforce, while ensuring their constant safety and wellbeing.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Limited and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc stated “Building an inclusive organisation demands a continuous focus on creating equal opportunities for all. Project Shree Shakti is a step in that direction and has emerged as an enabler of positive transformation within Odisha’s industrial landscape. At Vedanta, we remain deeply committed to creating a conducive work environment where every team member, irrespective of gender, can grow and excel.”
Project Shree Shakti symbolizes the empowerment and independence that are the bedrock of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ By offering women professionals the freedom of flexible working hours, it ensures that they can build and pursue their careers on their own terms. The initiative encompasses inducting women professionals into the night shift across the company’s core operations within Odisha, in a safe and trusted work environment. In doing so, the company is helping create additional avenues for women to advance in their careers and take up leadership roles, contributing to a wider shift in equitable access to opportunities for women.
Women employees inducted under the project will manage advanced operational tasks that have been previously undertaken only by male professionals, showcasing their technical expertise. The initiative helps unlock the full potential of women employees by empowering them with the necessary professional skillsets, advanced training opportunities in industrial processes, and exposure to world-class technologies. To ensure a smooth onboarding process for these new employees, Vedanta has also implemented added security and safety measures across its operations in Odisha, including sensitisation sessions for the entire workforce, a specialised squad for overseeing workplace commutes, designated female drivers and more platforms exclusively for women employees to connect with each other.
Soni Kumari, PTM (Pot Tending Machine) operator at Vedanta Aluminium’s potline operations in Jharsuguda who was inducted under the first phase of the project shared her experience: “Working under the Shree Shakti Project has been life-changing. The comprehensive work experience I received enabled me to balance my career and studies seamlessly. I gained valuable skills that have made me more independent and confident. This initiative has not only supported my professional growth but also empowered me to pursue my personal goals more effectively”.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
Follow us on LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Disclaimer:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
