Vedanta Aluminium serves more than two lakh devotees as Rath Yatra commences in Puri
1st July 2025
Bhubaneswar, Odisha; 1st July 2025: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, marked the commencement of the renowned Rath Yatra festival in Puri with a series of thoughtful initiatives focused on facilitating community welfare, cultural celebration, and spiritual devotion among visitors.
The company has been a consistent and valued contributor to upholding this sacred tradition, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the rich cultural heritage of Odisha. This year, the company set up an Arnna Chatra (community kitchen) near the Jagannath Temple in Puri, serving hot and nutritious meals and water to more than two lakh devotees. In addition, chandan kapoor-infused water (sandalwood and camphor) was provided to refresh the devotees and deepen the spiritual essence of the celebrations. A 50-member volunteer team was deployed to assist pilgrims throughout the event. To further aid the celebration, Vedanta Aluminium partnered with WATCO and the administration to distribute free bottled water, contributing to a safe and seamless experience for all. The Bhandara was graced by Padma Shri Pramod Bhagat, Paralympic champion from Odisha; Shri Bobby Mishra, noted actor in Odia cinema; and Shri Manas Kumar Sahoo, a renowned sand artist from the state. The dignitaries commended the company’s commitment to serving the spiritual community.
Every year, millions of devotees from across India gather in Puri to witness the revered Rath Yatra, as the sibling deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, embark on their grand journey, making it one of the most important cultural celebrations in the state. The company is also organising Mahaprasad distribution & Bhajan Sandhya on 4th July.
As part of its health and safety measures, proper sanitization was carried out throughout, particularly during meal distribution. All cooking and serving areas were disinfected regularly, food was prepared in hygienic conditions, and distribution counters were sanitized at frequent intervals to ensure the safety of devotees and volunteers. In addition, cleanliness was prioritised throughout the event with a robust waste management system in place. A dedicated crew worked in coordination with the local municipality to manage waste, ensure prompt garbage collection, and maintain hygiene at and around the Arnna Chatra and the surrounding venue.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium said, “Vedanta Aluminium has been proudly supporting the Rath Yatra for many years, an event that is not merely a festival but is also a profound expression of Odisha’s cultural and spiritual identity. At Vedanta Aluminium, we are honoured to contribute to this sacred occasion through meaningful initiatives that serve the community and celebrate our shared heritage. Our efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to enriching lives and preserving the vibrant legacy.”
Beyond cultural celebrations, Vedanta Aluminium remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering local communities through quality education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, rural infrastructure, and grassroots sports and culture. These efforts underline Vedanta Aluminium’s commitment to driving transformation within and beyond its operational areas, fostering a sense of community contribution towards the overall growth and advancement of Odisha. By collaborating closely with local authorities and community stakeholders, the company ensures its interventions lead to tangible socio-economic progress. Rooted in the ethos of care and partnership, Vedanta’s social impact initiatives have touched the lives of more than 5 lakh people across Odisha.
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.
