Lanjigarh (Kalahandi), February 28, 2025: In a significant push to enhance employability and create meaningful career opportunities, Vedanta Lanjigarh, India’s leading producer of smelter-grade alumina and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, is making a transformative impact through its Skill Development Programmes (SDP) in the tribal-dominated regions of Odisha’s Kalahandi district. The initiative focuses on equipping local youth with industry-relevant skills, thereby empowering them to participate actively in the socio-economic mainstream and fostering sustainable community development.
Vedanta’s SDP is a flagship initiative aimed at strengthening rural livelihoods and contributing to economic growth, in line with the Government’s Viksit Bharat mission. Through a structured training framework, the programme seeks to develop a skilled workforce while creating avenues for employment and entrepreneurship in sectors aligned with regional and national priorities.
Highlighting the programme’s significance, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, CEO of Vedanta Alumina Business, said, “At Vedanta, our vision is to leverage the potential of the local youth, our demographic dividend, by offering them comprehensive, industry-aligned training. Our initiative aims to provide the local youth with access to promising career paths and integrate them into the socio-economic mainstream. This transformative programme exemplifies our commitment to building a skilled and self-reliant workforce in the region we operate.”
The initiative directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 – No Poverty and SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, demonstrating Vedanta’s commitment to holistic and socially responsible development. Over the next three years, the SDP aims to train more than 1,200 rural youth, employing a two-pronged strategy that combines professional skill training with opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
In collaboration with the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and NABARD, the programme has already successfully trained 15 batches of students in the food and beverage trade. To facilitate employment, the initiative has created a network of over 12 placement partners across 11 states, ensuring that trained youth have access to competitive job markets.
So far, 475 out of 632 trained youths have secured placements with reputed organizations such as Absolute Barbeques Nation, Golf Club, Club Mahindra, and Belgian Waffles, among others. These opportunities provide an average annual package of ₹1.2 lakh, significantly enhancing the incomes of participating families and integrating the youth into the socio-economic mainstream.
Through these efforts, Vedanta Lanjigarh is not only empowering local youth but also contributing to broader community development by creating sustainable livelihoods, enhancing employability, and supporting inclusive growth. By bridging the gap between skill development and employment, the SDP serves as a model initiative for leveraging corporate social responsibility to drive long-term regional transformation.
