The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
JHARSUGUDA, MAR 12
Vedanta Aluminium celebrated International Women’s Day at its alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, and aluminium & power operations at Jharsuguda. As part of the celebrations, various interactive sessions, awareness drives and community engagement activities like mass plantation, week-long menstrual hygiene awareness campaign, etc. were conducted.
The commemoration started with Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani addressing the Vedanta employees in presence of Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman – Vedanta Resources Limited. In a separate session, Agarwal also had a candid virtual conversation with all employees of Vedanta and their spouses, on the focus of the organization to ensure gender parity and greater inclusivity of women at all levels of decision making.
Marking the occasion, Rahul Sharma, Dy. CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd., said, “The manufacturing industry has traditionally been male dominated. But, for us at Vedanta, we treat every role as absolutely gender-neutral, which has led to women leading all facets of core functions, from Operations & Maintenance, Security, R&D, Marketing, Finance and HR, right up to operating cranes. As India’s largest aluminium producer, we strive to build a culture that fosters meritocracy and excellence. This enables us to build a vibrant and inclusive environment that allows our greatest asset – our people – to thrive.”
Celebrating the occasion with beneficiaries of ‘Sakhi’, its women empowerment project in Lanjigarh, Vedanta organized various engaging activities themed on ‘Choose to Challenge’. At Jharsuguda, the company collaborated with the all-women Subhalaxmi Co-operative to felicitated top-performing women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
It also conducted weeklong menstrual hygiene awareness sessions in many villages, reaching out to more than 200 adolescent girls and women members of Subhalaxmi Co-op.
Speaking at the event, Sukanta Majhi, Additional Project Director, District Rural Development Agency (PD, DRDA), Jharsuguda, said, “Vedanta’s efforts and commitment towards empowering the community women is appreciable. I am sure that the company will continue to provide its support in the further development of women.”
An equal opportunity employer, Vedanta’s value system epitomizes the two fundamental pillars – diversity and inclusion.
