The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
LANJIGARH, JULY 26, 2023
Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, recently supported the skilled Dhokra artisans of Kankeri village of Lanjigarh in participating in a national level exhibition organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) at Srinagar and Gulmarg.
The exhibition, organized by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs from July 7 to 11, witnessed participation from various tribal communities across India, with Dhokra art being the sole art form representing Odisha.
TRIFED is a national co-operative body working towards supporting the market development of Minor Forest Products and Tribal Art & Craft.
The national exhibition witnessed over a thousand visitors, including eminent personalities such as Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and J&K Government Tribal Affairs Department Secretary Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary. It helped the artisans, who actively contribute to the rich cultural heritage of Odisha, garner significant sales and also build greater awareness of the heritage of Dhokra art, a very ancient and treasured art form.
The Vedanta Art and Culture initiative focuses on preserving and promoting the rich cultural art forms of Odisha, particularly Dhokra sculptures and Saura paintings. Through this program, the company is working with local artisans to build their skills, providing seed capital for procuring raw materials, and creating additional avenues for creating market linkage opportunities. This effort is helping enhance the income levels for the artisans, in addition to mitigating the need for them to abandon these traditional skills or move to distant places in search of a sustainable livelihood.
Highlighting the significance of the project, Vedanta Limited – Aluminium Business Deputy CEO GG Pal said, “Vedanta Lanjigarh believes in conserving, promoting, and celebrating art forms that underscore the rich culture of Odisha. Through this initiative, we provide support to local artisans by ensuring sustainable sources of income for their sustenance.” “Representing Odisha on a forum like TRIFED speaks volumes about the outreach and impact of the project and highlights how this ancient art form is gaining renewed popularity across the nation. We remain committed to supporting and nurturing this beautiful embodiment of our nation’s vibrancy,” he added.
Lauding Vedanta’s efforts, TRIFED Regional Director (Odisha) Rahul Kumar said, “I am happy to see organizations like Vedanta working so closely towards preserving the tribal cultures and art forms and helping the local artisans to get a platform to sell their goods. The Dhokra art is a magnificent piece of artwork which dates to thousands of years in our Indian culture. I would like Vedanta to continue their efforts towards preserving local cultures and come up with more such development initiatives.”
Dhokra, a magnificent metalworking art form based on the lost wax technique, has its origins dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization, endowing it with a history of nearly 5000 years. Project Dhokra, a community development initiative of Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh was started in 2018 to help preserve and promote this traditional art form. It provides training and financial support to artisans for producing contemporary designs through modern techniques, keeping in mind the evolving requirements of society. The company has recently launched an exclusive online gallery to showcase products created as part of this initiative, accessible on this link:
It is also enabling the participation of the artisans in various exhibitions and public events, primarily with the aim of widening the reach of their products across national as well as international audiences.
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.
