Vedanta Lanjigarh’s Project Utthan boosts employment opportunities in Kalahandi and Rayagada
25th April 2023
- 73 graduate youths have been hired for various roles at the alumina refinery operations
Lanjigarh, Kalahandi; April 25, 2023: Run by Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, Project Utthan has been working towards creating employment opportunities for the youth of Kalahandi and Rayagada, with a focus on those who have completed their graduate-level studies. The company has recently hired 73 youths from Kalahandi and Rayagada districts in various roles at the alumina refinery. Of the students hired, 43 students belong to Kalahandi district whereas 30 students hail from Rayagada district. The appointment letters were presented to the new hires from Kalahandi by Ms. P Anwesha Reddy, District Collector, in a function at the Bhawanipatna Town Hall today.
The word Utthan, which means to ‘lift up’, perfectly encapsulates the vision of the program, which is to provide a leg up to young individuals hailing from remote communities with limited possibilities for employment, in taking their first steps towards fulfilling careers. This allows them to participate in, and thereby lead their communities into, the socio-economic mainstream without being forced to relocate to distant areas to earn their livelihood.
As part of the program, the youths will also undergo further training to grow into leadership roles. Since commencing operations, Vedanta Lanjigarh has hired over 270 graduate students from Kalahandi and Rayagada districts as permanent staff in both technical and non-technical functions, several of whom have attained managerial positions. Through this effort, it has deepened its talent pool with qualified and competent employees from local communities. In addition to this, the company has also employed nearly 4000 people from Kalahandi and Rayagada in technical roles. This has gone on to augment local employment, enhancing the quality of life enjoyed by rural communities.
Highlighting the impact of Project Utthan, Mr GG Pal, Dy. CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Limited, said, “Vedanta Lanjigarh has always championed socio-economic development of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. Sustainable livelihood opportunities are an important lever in accelerating the pace of community development, making people equal participants in their own progress. Our ‘Project Utthan’ focuses on enabling local youths with meaningful opportunities to succeed professionally while also staying close to their roots. I wish each of our young and talented recruits the best in their careers and look forward to seeing them take our company and their communities to greater heights.”
Congratulating the youths, Ms P Anwesha Reddy, IAS, Collector & District Magistrate, Kalahandi district, said, “Vedanta Lanjigarh has established itself as an important driver of community progress in Odisha through several developmental initiatives. By building several avenues of progress through focused interventions in education, health, skill development, grassroots sports, and now formal employment via Project Utthan, the company represents a plethora of possibilities for young individuals. I extend my best wishes for Project Utthan and urge that this platform be utilised for honing our youth’s abilities and creating new horizons for the people of Kalahandi and Rayagada.”
In addition to formal employment opportunities, Vedanta Lanjigarh offers many other opportunities for youth to gain essential vocational skills. Most recently, it was chosen as the pilot location for Vedanta’s Project Panchhi, which seeks to empower 1000 girls from underserved communities, from across India, with job and continued education opportunities. The target demography of this drive is girls from lower income families who are likely to opt out of pursuing further studies and a fulfilling career, owing to financial and social constraints. Further, the company runs a youth skills training program wherein local youth get trained in various trades like housekeeping, food & beverages, electrical and more. Similarly, the company’s Sakhi project supports hundreds of rural women in capacity building, training, enterprise development and institutional credit. The company has also fostered many farm and non-farm enterprises in poultry, pisciculture, vegetable cultivation, etc. Furthermore, it is nurturing and preserving tribal arts and sports such as Dhokra art, Saura art, and archery, and creating avenues for artisans and sportspeople to build thriving livelihoods.
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 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its 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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