Vedanta Aluminium, India’s leading aluminium producer, has taken a bold step towards enhancing gender diversity and inclusivity by creating the first-ever women-operated smelter line at its facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha, one of the largest aluminium smelters globally. This initiative reflects the company’s commitment to advancing women’s participation in core manufacturing roles and promoting gender equality in the workforce.
The move is part of Vedanta Aluminium’s broader strategy to reinforce its leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion within the manufacturing sector, a domain where gender diversity is historically low. Through this initiative, Vedanta aims to set a new standard for women’s empowerment in the metals, mining, and heavy engineering industries.
In this pioneering project, one of the potlines at the Jharsuguda plant will be transitioned into a fully women-managed operation. A potline is an essential part of the aluminium smelting process where electrolytic reduction takes place to produce aluminium metal. The initiative will be rolled out in three phases, with 100+ positions across various skill levels. Women from across the company’s operations have been selected for the roles through internal postings, diversity programs, and outreach initiatives, with specialized on-the-job training provided to ensure a smooth transition.
Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Aluminium, expressed, “We believe diversity and inclusion drive innovation and excellence. By empowering women in essential manufacturing roles, we’re breaking stereotypes and building a future-ready, equitable workplace. This initiative at one of the world’s largest smelters is a testament to our ongoing commitment to gender diversity.”
Pankaj Sureka, Chief Human Resource Officer, added, “At Vedanta, we believe in ‘Shakti se Pragati’—progress through empowerment. Our approach ensures equal opportunities for women to lead across all functions, from shop floors to leadership roles.”
To further its goal of an inclusive workplace, Vedanta Aluminium is making all its roles gender-neutral, allowing women to take on responsibilities across areas such as smelting, mining, power generation, logistics, security, and procurement. The company has set an ambitious goal to achieve 30% women workforce representation by FY2030. Additionally, it prioritizes 50% women hires for fresh roles to ensure gender-balanced recruitment.
In support of female participation in the industry, Vedanta Aluminium has launched Project Shree Shakti, which enables women in Odisha operations to work night shifts—a first in the state. The company has also introduced Project Panchhi, which aims to support young girls from marginalized communities by providing financial aid for education and offering employment opportunities at Vedanta Aluminium.
Vedanta Aluminium, a part of Vedanta Limited, is the largest aluminium producer in India, manufacturing over 2.37 million tonnes in FY2024, more than half of the country’s total aluminium production. The company has established itself as a leader in value-added aluminium products, which serve critical sectors, and ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment for the aluminium industry in 2024. In addition to its leading sustainable development practices, Vedanta Aluminium continues to drive innovations that position aluminium as the “Metal of the Future”, supporting greener solutions for the global energy and manufacturing industries.
With a strong commitment to sustainable development, Vedanta Limited is also striving to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. The company is dedicated to social impact through initiatives like Nand Ghar, which aims to set up model anganwadis across India.
