Women’s Day: Vedanta Aluminium promotes equitable future across communities 

New Delhi, March 12, 2024: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, observed International Women’s Day this year through a blend of online and on-the-ground initiatives that reaffirmed its commitment to building an inclusive future by expanding the opportunities for advancement available to women. With one of the highest male-to-female employee ratios in the industry, Vedanta Aluminium is now accelerating efforts to ensure women comprise a third of all its employees in the near future.

In the leadup to International Women’s Day, the company launched a groundbreaking campaign titled #TheFutureOfMetAL, featuring a fusion of generative AI videos and captivating short films. The campaign sought to transform entrenched misconceptions of the metals, mining and modern manufacturing industries as a male-dominated sector, by highlighting the determined women professionals already excelling within the industry as compelling role models. Through this, it seeks to inspire more women to tap into the rewarding careers emerging in these sectors.

As an equal opportunity employer, Vedanta Aluminium strives to drive meaningful change and propel women’s empowerment, both in the workplace and beyond. Towards this end, the business units of Vedanta Aluminium organized myriad activities to celebrate the achievements of its women employees and community members, through both awareness sessions and engagement activities that promoted greater inclusivity in every aspect of life.

On the occasion, John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium said, "The diversity of skills and perspectives arising from the increased participation of women builds organisations that stay resilient in the long-term. Vedanta Aluminium is therefore committed to developing an equitable environment that fosters diverse and inclusive teams. As India’s largest aluminium producer, we are building a culture that rewards drive and diligence over all other considerations, in our continuous pursuit of greater innovation and business excellence.”
At the company’s mega aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, members of Vedanta’s Subhalaxmi Cooperative, one of the largest women cooperatives in India, were felicitated during the Women’s Day celebrations held at the District Cultural Office. They also joined an engaging session on integrating women into the entrepreneurial ecosystem, led by experts from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. During this event, a vibrant stall was put up showcasing products made by the Self Help Groups under Subhalaxmi Cooperative.

Further, employees and family members participated in a ‘Run For Inclusion’ marathon promoting the importance of being physically active. They also joined webinars on crucial topics such as unconscious bias, a factor which can hinder equitable progress in the workplace. The company also organized a webinar on stress management and maintaining emotional health, in addition to a financial planning workshop.

The mines division of Vedanta Aluminium celebrated Women's Day with over 740 community members living in the vicinity of its operations in Jamkhani, Girisma, and Kuraloi areas. These included organising traditional competitions like Rangoli making, Shankh Vadan, and Matki Phod, in addition to a special cooking competition for lactating and pregnant women.

Meanwhile, Vedanta Aluminium's Lanjigarh unit observed the occasion by hosting a celebration attended by over ~2000 women across 6 gram panchayats in the vicinity of its operations. An exclusive town hall was also organised for all female employees at the unit, where they were encouraged to share their experiences, and celebrate their achievements. This was followed by an awareness session on obesity, a growing health concern.

At Vizag General Cargo Berth (VGCB) port operations, a get-together was organised for over 70 beneficiaries of Project Jivika, a women’s empowerment initiative where they are trained in livelihood skills such as snack making and beauty care. This was followed by a session on the legal rights of women. 

At BALCO, India’s iconic aluminium smelter and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, an awareness session on cervical cancer, a critical issue for women's health, was held. Nearly 50 female employees were also recognized for their outstanding contribution to the company. Interestingly, they also received specially curated gifts from Project Unnati, a women’s Self Help Group (SHGs) initiative supported by BALCO.

In addition, the unit also organised the third edition of Unnati Utsav, where the Self-Help Group (SHGs) members marketed and sold their products, ranging from food items to decor. Almost 1000 people from the neighbouring communities visited the Utsav. It was also an opportunity to spread awareness on crucial topics such as menstrual health management. During the event, BALCO also launched an advanced Mobile Health Van (MHV), an important initiative bringing free, primary healthcare access to remote areas.

At Vedanta Aluminium, women professionals are thriving in the traditionally male-dominated field of modern manufacturing, excelling in both core operations and technical roles across the business, ranging from metal production, plant management, power generation, infrastructure, logistics and asset security. The employees live in world-class townships replete with amenities like hospitals, schools, movie theatres, daycare centres, places of worship, shopping complexes, and recreation centres. This is complemented with supportive policies such as spouse hiring and flexible hours for working mothers with infant children.

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 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the 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.