The Business Bytes
Bhubaneswar, October 28, 2024 (TBB Bureau): Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has taken a significant step in workforce empowerment through its flagship skill development initiative, Project Sakshyam. Under this program, Vedanta has facilitated advanced industrial training for ITI graduates from Jharsuguda and surrounding areas at the prestigious World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar. The year-long, residential Project Sakshyam program enables students to specialize in diverse trades, including mechatronics, mechanical and electrical services, vertical transportation, and electrical technology.
Recently, Vedanta celebrated the success of these students, who have secured employment with reputed organizations such as Tata Motors and Johnson Lift and Escalator. Speaking on the initiative, Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Aluminium, remarked, “Project Sakshyam embodies our unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation. We are immensely proud of our graduates, whose remarkable achievements reflect their hard work and potential. Skilling the younger population is integral to our vision of elevating the socio-economic status of the communities where we operate. By equipping them with market-relevant skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning, we are not only helping secure their future but also bringing remote areas of the country into the socio-economic mainstream. It’s an honor for Vedanta Aluminium to have been a part of their transformative journey.”
One of the graduates, Arati Mahato, expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am thankful to Vedanta’s Project Sakshyam for offering me specialized training in Mechanical and Electrical services. This advanced training has not only equipped me with critical skills to transform my career but has also empowered me to excel and make a lasting impact in the field.”
Beyond Project Sakshyam, Vedanta’s skilling programs in Odisha span multiple locations:
At its aluminium plant in Jharsuguda, Vedanta collaborates with Ashok Leyland and the Odisha State Government on light and heavy motor vehicle training programs. Many trainees have found employment within Vedanta’s operations and in nearby industries.
Around its alumina refinery operations in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district, Vedanta aims to upgrade the skills of 3,500 youth over the next three years in partnership with the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and NABARD.
Skill training centers at Lanjigarh and Bhawanipatna offer courses in fields such as food and beverage, hospitality, and electrical maintenance. Graduates from these programs have secured placements with organizations including Club Mahindra, Minerva Group of Hotels and Restaurants, Honda showrooms, and Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, achieving a 77% placement rate in the current fiscal year.
At its mining operations in Jamkhani, Sundargarh, Vedanta has partnered with the Skill Development Institute (SDI), Bhubaneswar, and the State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir, to train over 60 candidates, with a high success rate in post-training employment.
Vedanta’s social interventions extend beyond skill development to encompass education, healthcare, livelihood, grassroots sports, and the arts, with a focus on women and child development. These initiatives reach nearly 80 villages in and around Jharsuguda, benefiting over 300,000 people annually. The company supports around 5,000 women from over 350 self-help groups (SHGs), provides healthcare to approximately 50,000 people through doorstep services, offers educational support to over 13,000 students, and has planted nearly 150,000 trees in collaboration with local communities.
As a business of Vedanta Limited, Vedanta Aluminium is India’s largest aluminium producer, accounting for over half of India’s aluminium production at 2.37 million tonnes in FY23. Known for its value-added aluminium products essential to core industries, Vedanta Aluminium ranks first in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 for the aluminium sector, underscoring its leadership in sustainable practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery, and power plants, the company strives to drive the future of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a sustainable tomorrow.
