Vedanta Lanjigarh signs MoU with Odisha Skill Development Authority to upskill youths in rural Odisha
28th March 2024
- Its skills training program aims to upskill more than 1,300 youths in the next 3 years
Lanjigarh, Kalahandi District, Odisha, 28th March 2024 – Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with OSDA (Odisha Skill Development Authority), Government of Odisha, with the aim to upskill more than 1,300 youths in a span of 3 years. Its skill training initiative has supported rural, unemployed youths from Kalahandi district, who have dropped out of school due to socio-economic constraints, to secure sustainable livelihoods. The company aims to broaden the scope of this initiative through various partnerships with renowned institutions like NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development) and many more.
Since its inception in 2022, the programme has trained rural youths from Kalahandi district for a wide range of employment opportunities within food & beverage, textile, and electrical maintenance industries. Teaching is imparted through a good balance of immersive practical simulations and theory along with behavioural trainings and industrial visits to give them hands-on experience in different job roles.
So far, more than 200 youths have been trained in various skills like stewardship, sewing machine operation and electrical maintenance. Ongoing commitment to fostering deeper connections with recruiters has paid off, achieving a 75% placement record, with students getting placed in reputed organisations like Ramoji Film City, Taj Group of Hotels and many more. The initiative also marks a significant step towards nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship, leveraging collective strengths and resources to create a robust and supportive environment for entrepreneurs to thrive, as many youths from the region don’t want to pursue jobs. The endeavour closely aligns with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG8), Reduce Inequalities (SDG10), and Partnership for Goals (SDG17).
Mr. Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya, CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Ltd., said, “Our commitment to nurturing the potential of our youth goes beyond empowerment – it’s about cultivating a legacy of self-reliance. By equipping them with entrepreneurial skills and financial acumen, we’re not just shaping individual futures, but working towards the development of entire communities. As we pave the way for self-sustenance, we’re laying the foundation for an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ – a nation driven by innovation, independence, and prosperity.”
Ajit Kumar Uttaray, District Employment Officer, Kalahandi, said, “The skills training program is a positive move towards securing the future of Kalahandi by upskilling a huge talent pool that we have here. Through this collaboration we will be able to ensure better opportunities for socio-economic upliftment and betterment of communities across the district.”
Vedanta Lanjigarh’s social interventions in the domains of sustainable livelihood, quality education, women empowerment, health, water and sanitation and community infrastructure reach out to over 67 villages and nearby areas. Vedanta skill training initiative underscores more than 200 individuals that comprises of underprivileged youth and 60% of it are women. It empowers more than 4,000 women from over 378 SHGs; provides qualitative and doorstep healthcare services to about 60,000 people annually. The company also established Lanjigarh’s first English-medium school – the DAV Vedanta International School and has nurtured 4,000 children and 800 women in over 200 Nand Ghars, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, while empowering around 200 youths through sports and skill training initiatives.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. 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
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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.
