Vedanta Aluminium deploys Odisha’s first all-women power unit at Jharsuguda
23rd February 2026
- A 135 MW power unit set to run with an all-women technical team
New Delhi, February 23, 2026: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has deployed Odisha’s first all-women power operations team, who will be responsible for managing a 135 MW power unit at its Jharsuguda facility, the world’s largest aluminium plant. In the run-up to Women’s Day 2026, this comes as a significant reiteration of the company’s commitment to building a diverse workplace across its operations, while fostering greater inclusivity within India’s mining and metals industry.
Modern aluminium smelters require a continuous, reliable supply of energy to function effectively, making power operations an important aspect of the overall aluminium manufacturing process. Vedanta Aluminium’s mega plant in Jharsuguda features a power generation capacity of 3615 MW, which includes 4 units of 600 MW each and 9 units of 135 MW each. The all-women team is now set to handle the day-to-day operations of an entire 135 MW thermal power generation unit.
An initiative undertaken in partnership with business partner NGSL, qualified female engineers have been onboarded across various operations and maintenance roles, including desk engineers, turbine operators, mill operators, switchgear operators, and more. Together, they represent diverse branches of engineering, including Electricals and Mechanical. The selected team members will undergo a comprehensive six-month training program in technical, operational & leadership capability building, through a mix of onsite and classroom-based training.
Commenting on the milestone, Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “This initiative demonstrates that women are not just participating in heavy industry, they are leading critical operations. Entrusting a 135 MW power unit to an all-women team reflects our belief that capability defines leadership. As we progress toward 30% women representation by 2030, we remain committed to setting benchmarks for inclusive industrial growth in India.”
According to the Odisha Economic Survey 2025-26, the State’s female labour force participation rate has risen from 37.6% in 2022 to 48.7% in 2024, surpassing the national average. In line with this momentum, Vedanta Aluminium has been steadily advancing gender diversity by creating meaningful pathways for women to thrive in core industrial roles. At Jharsuguda, this includes pioneering milestones such as India’s first all‑women potline team, the company’s first all‑women locomotive crew, and Agnivahini, its all‑women fire and emergency response team, alongside being the first company in Odisha to introduce women employees into night‑shift operations through the Shree Shakti initiative. Further, the company supports women across life stages through flexible working arrangements, including a ‘No‑Questions‑Asked’ work‑from‑home policy, while also identifying and developing high‑potential women leaders through tailored growth initiatives.
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
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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.
