The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
JHARSUGUDA, JAN 27, 2023
Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, celebrated India’s 74th Republic Day with great patriotic fervour, along with its employees, partners, and community members at its operations in Jharsuguda. The highlights of the event included a flag hoisting ceremony, a tableau showcasing the culture and history of India along with various themes of applications such as aluminium, renewable energy, etc., and a ceremonial parade by the company’s security team, followed by inspection of the Guard of Honour by Vedanta Limited, Jharsuguda CEO Sunil Gupta.
The company extended its celebrations to the wider community in Jharsuguda, with various flag-hoisting ceremonies with local community members from the surrounding villages of Brundamal, Maa Samaleswari Nagar, Bhagipali, Burkhamunda, Katikela, Kurebaga, Sunarimunda, Banjari and Dalki, including local representatives, women leaders and Self-Help Group (SHG) members from the community. Over 20 school students from Sambalpur were also part of the celebrations.
Vedanta Aluminium’s Mines division celebrated the spirit of patriotism with school students from Jamkhani, Ghogarpali, Girisima, Jharpalam, Munderkhet, Luabahal, Garjanjore, Rengalpani, Bhograkachar and Mendra villages.
Addressing the employees and business partners at the ceremony, Sunil Gupta said, “As custodians of one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters, we at Vedanta Aluminium have an important role in nation building and contributing to the growth of the nation. The aluminium industry plays a vital role in building the future of India. On this day, we reiterate our mission to fuel the country’s endeavours to become self-reliant, by achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta in Aluminium’, as we strive to make India the ‘Aluminium Capital of the World’ and establish our great nation as a manufacturing powerhouse.”
Speaking on the occasion, CEO – Mines (Vedanta Aluminium) V Srikanth said, “With our business and social development endeavours, we are not only ensuring that the wheels of the economy keep turning but also accelerating the socio-economic development of our communities in remote areas of the country. Going forward, we will continue to work towards bringing about a sustainable transformation in the quality of life of our community members and unlocking new growth opportunities for our youth.”
Commemorating the occasion, students conducted march-pasts followed by flag hoisting ceremonies in the presence of the village residents. The auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami was also celebrated with the community. The event ended with everyone singing the National Anthem in unison.
Republic Day celebrations also took place at the Vedanta’s Jharpalam Barrack in Hemgir district, in the presence of Jamkhani Coal Mines COO Vivek Uplanchiwar and other senior officials of the company.
Besides supplying high-quality aluminium products to core industries in India, Vedanta Aluminium has created a multiplier effect through employment opportunities, social interventions, thriving residential clusters and local business communities around the plant operations in Jharsuguda. The creation of much-needed infrastructure has catalysed significant development in these regions, bringing them to the socio-economic forefront. The role of the company in bringing remote areas of Jharsuguda to the socio-economic mainstreamis widely recognised. The company has triggered an exponential GDP growth of Jharsuguda at the rate of 15 per cent between 2003 and 2015. In addition, it has reduced Odisha’s power deficit by 10%, by supplying about 20 billion units of electricity at a time when the country was suffering from acute power shortage.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.27 million tonnes in FY22. 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.
