Vedanta Group is targeting USD 20 billion in profit over the next two years, Chairman and Founder Anil Agarwal said during an interaction hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its Young Leaders Forum in Kolkata. Mr Agarwal spoke about his early links with the city, recalling his childhood in Bara Bazar, where he lived opposite the Satyanarayan temple and studied at Jain Vidyalaya, a municipal school. His family’s shop was located in Tula Patti, and earlier generations of his family had also lived in Kolkata. He said these experiences had shaped his long-standing connection with the city and the wider Bengal-Bihar region.
Discussing West Bengal’s economic prospects, Mr Agarwal said the state had a skilled workforce, intellectual capital and an established industrial base that could support further growth. He called on businesses to work with the government to attract investment, expand enterprise and create employment.
Vedanta operates across aluminium, zinc, oil and gas, power, iron and steel, copper and other metals. Mr Agarwal said his long-term ambition was to build the Group into a global institution that could contribute to India’s development for generations. He said business success should be measured not only by financial performance but also by its contribution to employment, industrial expansion and economic progress.
He stressed the importance of job creation and said large industrial investments could generate opportunities for suppliers, small businesses and entrepreneurs. He also encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to use data in decision-making, take calculated risks and remain persistent when faced with setbacks.
Mr Agarwal called for greater domestic resource production and reduced dependence on imports. He said expanding downstream processing and manufacturing in aluminium, copper and zinc could create opportunities for companies of different sizes while strengthening industrial supply chains and increasing domestic value addition.
He also highlighted the role of technology, research and development, artificial intelligence and innovation in improving industrial competitiveness. Among the opportunities he identified was domestic manufacturing of specialised glass used in televisions, mobile phones and vehicle dashboards.
On social development, Mr Agarwal highlighted Vedanta’s commitment to 35% women’s representation across the organisation, as specified in the company’s Articles of Association. He also spoke about the need to address child hunger and expand opportunities for women to achieve financial independence. Mr Agarwal said Vedanta’s growth strategy would focus on building industrial capacity, generating jobs and creating long-term value for the country.
