ISSUE 39 | VOL 11 | 26 DECEMBER 2020 Vedanta Newsdesk $5 TRILLION ECONOMY FOCUS ON POWER RACE FOR COVID-19 CURE

THE 7-POINT PRESCRIPTION FOR A $5 TN ECONOMY

India is on course to become a $5 trillion economy and the natural resources sector will play an important part in this journey. Vedanta has already taken the lead in building India’s self-reliance in natural resources.

Weeks ahead of the Union Budget, Vedanta Resources Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal has laid out his blueprint on what Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should focus on to accelerate economic growth for India.

RESTART SHUT MINES Around 500 mines in the country are currently not operational due to various disputes and restarting them would be a big step towards achieving India’s target of becoming a $5 trillion economy.

“India gets maximum revenues from the natural resources sector, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let the production go on. Let the existing owners restart production and double the output. If the production is doubled, there is no question we will not have our $5 trillion target,” Mr Agarwal said.

ACCELERATE DISINVESTMENT India needs to step up the pace of disinvestment. “Right now, one or two disinvestments are taking place in a year. We need to have at least 20 disinvestments in a year. The kind of wealth that will get created will be phenomenal,” Mr Agarwal said. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta

“Govt. has taken a bold step towards disinvestment. As the stock market is at an all-time high, the government should make the most of this opportunity to divest selected PSUs which can be turned around by private players. The process needs to be accelerated,” he added.

FOCUS ON POWER India has its inherent advantages to become a leading power producer. However, around 65 power plants are shut down, and distribution companies are not operating well. It’s time to privatise and digitalise distribution companies and make them technology driven.

“What happened in telecom can be achieved in the power sector. Using the digital technology, power costs in India can come down to Rs 1.5- 2/unit, which will accelerate India’s production and take us to a different level,” he said.

PRIVATISING DEFENCE MANUFACTURING India has the potential to become the largest producer of defence products in the world. India has 54 defence companies, which can be corporatized or privatised to create the biggest hub for defence production. “While the government has decided to open up defence production, the process needs to be accelerated. We need to bring in dynamism into the defence production units, and make sure that they use the latest technology. That will make a huge difference,” Mr Agarwal said.

INTRODUCING DIFFERENTIAL VOTING India needs to allow differential voting rights. Shares with differential voting rights have been very popular in the western world and have disproportionate rights as compared to economic ownership, thereby allowing promoters the steer the businesses towards growth and profitability.

“The moment you allow differential voting, you will see companies like Alibaba coming up in India,” Mr Agarwal said.

SELF-CERTIFIICATION TO DOUBLE PRODUCTION The government should bring in a regime of self-certification and trust explorers who are taking so much risk. The mines which bring in value-added products should be incentivised. Environment and forest clearance should be time bound and all expansion of mines should be on a self-certification basis.

“The process getting clearances takes years. Bringing in a self-certification regime will help in doubling production and help us in reaching our $5 trillion goal for the economy. The government is free penalise companies that don’t follow the norms. The more the government trusts our entrepreneurs, the more they will deliver,” Mr Agarwal said.

EXCERPTS FROM CHAIRMAN’S SPEECH AT THE ASSOCHAM SESSION ON 'FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING IN INDIA'

PACE OF DISINVESTMENT WILL GATHER MOMENTUM

"You would have seen in the last two months the pace in which the two major disinvestment related activities, and also the others which are relatively bringing down the government share in some of the big public sector undertakings, are also simultaneously happening. The pace of disinvestment will now gain a lot of momentum and those which have already found cabinet

NIRMALA SITHARAMAN approval will be taken up with all earnestness. Disinvestment will be happening, corporatisation of not just the defence, DRDO related labs but also banks - where I want them to run a lot more professionally, they should also be able to raise money from the market”.

-Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister

VEDANTA LEADERS AT ASSOCHAM

COMMITTED TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT

“We are doubling the gas production this month with a focus on strengthening the energy security of the country. This will lead to de-carbonization and help reduce overall carbon footprint. The government has enacted bold steps in building Atmanirbhar Bharat. Gas exchange platforms are being constructed as part of the larger gas distribution network. The way the network is

SUNIL DUGGAL being laid out within the nation is commendable and we are committed carbon footprint reduction by about 45 per cent by 2030, since gas contributes 60 per cent less carbonization for one unit alone.”

-Sunil Duggal, Group CEO, Vedanta

METALS TO PLAY CRITICAL ROLE IN REVIVING ECONOMY

“The contribution of the manufacturing sector to an Atma Nirbhar Bharat is undisputed given the trinity of Demography, Democracy and Demand as favourable catalysts. The pandemic can be the biggest accelerator of global diversification towards India. For India to become an economic powerhouse for the world, domestic manufacturing, especially the metal sector, has to play a crucial role in economic revival. Improving AJAY KAPUR domestic manufacturing is vital for achieving India’s self-sufficiency, reducing the import bill while generating revenue for the government, creating millions of jobs and giving a boost to the overall industrial and economic activity in the country. India’s significant mineral ore reserves, primary capacity and downstream processing capacity lay an excellent foundation for our country to become a global manufacturing hub.”

-Ajay Kapur, CEO – Aluminium & Power and MD – Commercial, Vedanta Ltd and Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Mines and Minerals

“We at Vedanta are fully committed to be an equal partner in this journey by unlocking the true potential of natural resource industry through most sustainable practices. We welcome the policy reforms introduced by the central government which are extremely vital to overcome the economic crisis precipitated due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the same shall

JOSEPH COELHO put back our country on the growth path. I am also confident that Government will further take appropriate steps towards resolving the Goa Mining stalemate very soon which would not only get back the industry on its feet but also provide livelihood of lakhs of Goans.”

-Joseph Coelho, Director, Iron Ore Division Goa, Vedanta Limited, Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business.

VEDANTA’S DNA OF GIVING BACK

“I fondly recall one of the SMEs who were producers of apparel manufacturers and they wanted to contribute to the PPE story by reorienting the manufacturing processes to make PPE suits for the medical community. What they lacked was the finances for machinery, the sealing machine to be particular, which was needed so that they could contribute to the national cause. I distinctly remember calling up SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI the gentleman who heads Vedanta and besieging Mr. Agarwal that though this is not your core industry, if you could lend a hand to support this small SME so that they are able to make the PPE suit. The fact that industry giants held hands with the SMEs is a quintessential Indian story of bringing together partnerships, bringing together a pool of talented people.”

Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister for Textiles, Women & Child Development

Giving back is deeply engrained in the fabric of our Indian culture. The onus is on each one of us to support the underprivileged and to work for the betterment of communities so that we can build a better India. Vedanta, in partnership with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, has set up Nand Ghar that is transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem with modern amenities and focuses on

PRIYA AGARWAL HEBBAR eradicating child malnutrition, education through e-learning, access to quality healthcare and empowering women through skill development."

-Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta

RACE FOR COVID-19 CURE

India may begin vaccinating people for COVID-19 in January, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said, adding that the government's priority has been the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. (NDTV)

India is likely to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use by next week after its local manufacturer submitted additional data sought by authorities, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. This could be the first country to give the regulatory green light for the British drug maker’s vaccine as the British medicine regulator continues to examine data from the trials. (Reuters)

The interim findings of phase 1 clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR, showed that it was well tolerated in all dose groups with no serious or adverse events. The vaccine induced robust binding and neutralising antibody responses which were comparable to those observed in the convalescent serum collected from patients who had recovered from Covid-19. (Economic Times)

Global pharma major Pfizer may price its vaccine lower in India than in the UK and the US, sources in the know said. The government in the recent past had indicated that India wouldn’t be keen to procure the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine because of its high cost and the extreme cold chain requirement at minus 70 degree Celsius. (Business Standard)

The third interim data on Sputnik V vaccine’s phase 3 trial in Russia has shown that the adenovirus vector jabs were 91.4% effective at preventing covid-19, its co-developer Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Monday. The interim analysis of the phase 3 trial was the last one before the trial is completed in May, when the vaccine developer would conduct a final analysis to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, a company spokesperson said. (Mint)

VEDANTA IN NEWS

Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal is planning to invest $10 billion through a new partnership targeting government privatisations in India. The billionaire is teaming up with London-based Centricus Asset Management to seek investments in Indian companies offering substantial growth opportunities, according to a statement on Thursday. They will look to turn around companies being sold off as part of the country’s $29-billion divestment programme. Agarwal made a fortune buying state companies and fixing them up, building a metals and mining powerhouse under the umbrella of Vedanta Resources. He is now seeking to repeat that success, betting he can spot gems among the dozens of companies being put on the block by the government. (Times of India)

The ongoing pandemic has brought out the importance of public health in no uncertain terms. A robust public health system is key to both lives and livelihoods and not just in the context of mitigating the impact of the pandemic. India has a number of other public health challenges, none perhaps more alarming than malnutrition. As per the Global Hunger Index (2019), India ranked 102 out of the 117 countries which qualified for assessment. One third of our children under the age of five are stunted, a key indicator of malnutrition. I believe that philanthropy can play a central role in supporting the government’s efforts to eradicate malnutrition by 2030, in line with our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. At Vedanta. our flagship social impact initiative - Nand Ghar. is reimaging and modernising the Anganwadi network across different states of India. (Authored article by Chairman in Mint)

PEERS INSIGHT

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and BP Plc on Friday said production has started from the R-Cluster, an ultra-deep-water gas field in the KG D6 block, off the east coast of India. Billed as Asia’s deepest offshore gas field with water depth of more than 2,000 metres, the field was initially expected to start production in June but the covid-19 pandemic delayed those plans. RIL and. its partner, London-based BP, had in June 2017 announced an investment of Rs 40,000 crore in three sets of gas discoveries to reverse flagging production in the KG D6 block. These are R-Cluster, Satellite Cluster and MJ field. R-Cluster is the first to come on stream. RIL said these clusters combined are expected to meet 15% of India’s gas demand by 2023. (Mint)

ONGC has begun crude oil production at the Asokenagar-1 well, Bengal Basin, North 24 Paragans district. This made the Bengal basin India’s eighth producing one, joining the ranks of Krishna-Godavari, Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, the Assam Arakan Fold Belt, and Cambay. (Business Standard)

Clearing the decks for the privatisation process, state-run oil refiner and marketer BPCL on Tuesday said the company's board would on Wednesday take a call on buying a 36.6% equity share in Bharat Oman Refineries (BORL) — the unit that runs the 7.8 million tonne Bina refinery —from OQ S.A.O.C (formerly known as Oman Oil Company). BPCL already owns the majority 63.4% stake in BORL. Sector experts believe the acquisition of the remaining stake will smoothen the divestment process of the government’s 52.98% stake in the oil marketing firm. (Financial Express)

Tata Steel has moved the Supreme Court against the Covid pandemic cess levied by the Jharkhand government on the mineral bearing land. The apex court has accepted the petition challenging the right of the State government rights to levy such a tax, sources said. In July, Jharkhand government through an Ordinance levied a cess of Rs 10 on every tonne of coal dispatched and Rs 5 a tonne on iron ore sold. Cess on per tonne of bauxite, limestone and manganese was fixed at Rs 20, Rs 10 and Rs 5. The Cabinet approved the promulgation of the Jharkhand Mineral Bearing Land (Covid-19 Pandemic) Cess Ordinance 2020 to shore up revenue for the State. (Hindu Business Line)

JSW Steel raised $250 million by selling bonds overseas. The bond sale is an extension to its earlier issuance in October, when the steelmaker raised $500 million. The bonds, which opened for subscriptions Monday, likely obtained an order book, three times higher than the actual size. Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse helped the company mopping up the funds. Real money investors put in bids amounting to around $1 billion chasing $250 million on similar terms & price, bankers said. (Economic Times)

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) India has termed the impact of Covid the most challenging, even as it plans to ramp up capacity to 8.5 mtpa from 7.5 mtpa in the short term. AM/NS India, a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel Corporation, had acquired the stressed Essar Steel under a corporate insolvency resolution process last year. Aditya Mittal, Chairman, AM/NS India, said the focus in the short term will be on de-bottlenecking existing operations to increase annual production to about 8.5 mt while the long-term production intentions to reach between 12 and 15 mt of annual production still stand. (Hindu Business Line)

Iron ore major NMDC Ltd has signed an MoU with Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) for joint exploration for iron ore, gold, coal, diamond and other minerals in mutually agreed projects across various States. NMDC is currently producing about 35 million tonnes of iron ore annually and diamonds from the Diamond Mining Project, Panna in Madhya Pradesh. It has an R&D Centre for the study of ore beneficiation and minerals processing. (Hindu Business Line)

In a boost to its efforts to disinvest stake inAir India, the Centre said Monday that it has received “multiple expressions of interest” for the debt-laden airline. These include bids from the Tata Group and a consortium comprising several of the airline’s employees and a US-based investment firm, sources told The Indian Express. The deadline for submission of formal bids closed at 5 pm on Monday and the Government is expected to notify the qualified bidders on January 5. (Indian Express)

The race to acquire bankrupt Dewan Housing Finance Corp. Ltd (DHFL) has intensified with top bidders Oaktree Capital Management and Piramal Group offering to sweeten their bids as the sale process entered final negotiations, two people directly aware of the developments said. The bidders agreed to improve their proposals after the committee of creditors (CoC) to DHFL found the offers of Oaktree and Piramal in the fourth round of bidding equally competitive, the people said on condition of anonymity. (Mint)

VEDANTA & THE WORLD

Royal Dutch Shell will slash billions of dollars from the value of its assets, underlining how the blow to oil demand from the pandemic and the shift towards renewable energy is forcing producers to rapidly adjust. The Anglo-Dutch company said on Monday that the $4.5bn in charges relate to an oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico, the closure of a refinery and unprofitable liquefied natural gas contracts. Shell has already disclosed about $18bn in write-downs so far this year, with the tally for 2020 potentially rising above the $22bn in impairments it flagged in June. (Financial Times)

Shell said on Monday it has agreed to sell a 26.25% stake in its Queensland Curtis LNG facilities to Global Infrastructure Partners Australia for $2.5 billion, helping the oil major meet its annual target for divestments. Shell, advised by Rothschild & Co, put a minority stake in the asset up for sale earlier this year, after infrastructure investors expressed interest in the asset which has a guaranteed earnings stream for 15 years. (Reuters)

ExxonMobil has promised to cut emissions for every barrel of oil it produces by up to a fifth over the next five years, after investor pressure for action on climate change. The company on Monday said it would aim for a cut of 15-20 per cent per barrel by 2025, compared with 2016 levels. The announcement comes as Exxon faces a vocal shareholder campaign to do more to reduce its environmental impact. (Financial Times)

PetroChina, Asia’s largest producer of oil and gas, has struck a large natural gas discovery in northwest China’s Xinjiang region with an initial estimated reserve exceeding 100 billion cubic meters, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported over the weekend. This marks another breakthrough in the state oil firm’s natural gas development in the region, following a similar-sized discovery at Tarim basin in September last year. (Reuters)

Cairn Energy will pay a $250m special dividend to shareholders early next year as a deal to sell its Senegalese assets to Australia’s Woodside nears completion. The 32p-a-share payout, which is expected to be paid by the Edinburgh-based oil and gas exploration and production company on January 25, stands out in a sector that has suffered a difficult 2020. (Financial Times)

Rio Tinto named Chief Financial Officer Jakob Stausholm as its next chief executive on Thursday, defying expectations it would pick an external candidate to repair its image after its destruction of sacred Aboriginal rock shelters. The destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters, while legal, sparked public and investor uproar that ultimately led to the resignation of incumbent Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two deputies. (Reuters)

Rio Tinto expects to achieve first production from the expansion of its giant copper mine in the Gobi Desert by October 2022 but only if it can reach agreement on several outstanding issues with the government of Mongolia and a Canadian subsidiary. The company said on Wednesday that the budget for the first phase of the underground project at Oyu Tolgoi would come in at $6.75bn and it would start caving operations once it had received outstanding approvals, finalised a new power source and reached agreement on financing. (Financial Times)

VEDANTA’S CALL OF DUTY

UNITED AGAINST COVID-19

Meals for All’ Program More than 11.46 lakh meals distributed to daily wage earners across the country in phase 1 and 2. More than 49,626 dry ration packets to the local communities. More than 12.70 lakh feedings to stray animals in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Pune.

Preventive Healthcare Distributed more than 4.54 lakh masks across communities. Provided more than 26,000 surgical masks and more than 75,000 surgical gloves to district hospitals across the country. Vedanta has joined hands with the Ministry of Textiles to import 23 machines for indigenously personal protective equipment (PPEs). Also, Vedanta distributed more than 1,03,777 units of soaps and sanitizers across communities.

Employee Safety & Welfare Vedanta, in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals, has established a 24x7 general helpline for the employees to ensure timely healthcare advice during the pandemic. The services are open for all employees and their families. To avail the free-of-cost healthcare support facility, call 18605003475.

NAND GHAR

In Jaipur, Rajasthan, Nand Ghar collaborated with "Triggerise" to provide Tele- Counselling (through a toll-free number and a QR code) to adolescent girls and women mainly on psychosexual health issues. A pool of female doctors will give free consultation services to the beneficiaries and provide basic prescription and referrals to hospitals where they can get discounted services. It is a platform where rural girls and women can seek consultation in confidence, openly talk about their problems and get the Nand Ghar collaborates with Triggerise to provide right kind of help without any stigma attached to tele-counselling for women it. At Nand Ghar, a constant effort is to bring in new technologies to serve the beneficiaries and make their daily lives easier. With this initiative, we aim to reach all Nand Ghar beneficiaries in the remotest of areas and link them to services made for them. Nand Ghar in Tonk, Rajasthan collaborated Collaboration with Hans Foundation in with Hans Foundation to conduct free OPDs Tonk Rajasthan at Nand Ghars. The mobile health vans run by Hans Foundation will be monthly stationed at Nand Ghars and provide primary health services to the Nand Ghar beneficiaries. With initiatives & collaborations such as these, Nand Ghar persistently strives to create greater impacts and cater to the well-being of those left behind. Collaboration with Hans Foundation for health At Nand Ghars in Chhattisgarh, little corona services in Tonk, Rajasthan warriors are showing the community to adapt and implement the new normal in their daily lives. Handwashing being the most important vaccine against the virus, hand wash demos were held across all Nand Ghars. With focus on behavior change and by providing constant nudges, the Nand Ghar team aims to highlight

Children adapting to the new normal at the importance of this basic hygiene in the most Nand Ghar in Chattisgarh rural of areas and bring about a societal change.

BU UPDATES

ALUMINIUM AND POWER

ALUMINIUM BUSINESS (SECTOR)

Deputy CEO – Aluminium Business Mr. Rahul Sharma participated in the FICCI Policy Round Table- Mr. Rahul Sharma, Deputy CEO- Aluminium Business participated in the FICCI Policy Round table where he had an interaction with the Hon’ble Minister of Steel, Mines and Work, Government of Odisha, Mr. Prafulla Dy CEO - Aluminium Business Mr. Rahul Sharma participated in FICCI Round Table Kumar Mallik. The discussion emphasised on how Odisha can become a mining powerhouse in the world with its crown as the 'Aluminium Capital of India', owing to its abundance of natural resources and strategic location on the east coast. Along with that, there was a comprehensive discussion on the progressive mining reforms, availability of raw materials, value addition in the state and global cost competitiveness.

VEDANTA JHARSUGUDA

Vedanta brings BUDDHI, IIT developed AI kit, to Jharsuguda schools: Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda is providing BUDDHI (build, understand, design, deploy human-like intelligence) kits, developed by IIT Delhi’s start-up CyranAI Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to schools. With commitment towards ensuring ‘quality Vedanta brings BUDDHI, IIT developed AI kit, to Jharsuguda schools education’ to the vernacular school students, on a pilot basis, this new initiative has been rolled out at DAV and St. Mary schools. This kit aims at bridging the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of AI for end-users. This will help students to develop an intuitive understanding of the subject which could be used to easily introduce AI in any existing STEAM projects.

BALCO

BALCO unveils Information Education Communication (IEC) material & launches sanitary napkins: BALCO, under its Project Menstrual Health Management unveiled IEC material and launched sanitary napkins through a virtual event. Chief Guest for the event Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director, BALCO did the honours in the presence of Ms. Leena Verenkar, Group CSR Head. More than 500 community members, especially the women & girls actively attended the event along with community health workers such as mitanins and ANM workers. The program

focuses on creating awareness and changing BALCO unveils Information Education the behavioural pattern of women towards Communication (IEC) material menstrual health and hygiene with the help of functional SHGs in the respective panchayats.

TSPL

Safety Stand Down: Conducting regular safety communication through stand downs is now a new normal at TSPL and taking the safety awareness ahead, third Safety Stand Down of the month was conducted at TSPL highlighting the hand Safety measures to be ensured by everyone at the workplace. Leaders of TSPL Safety Standdown at TSPL and business partners discussed common type of hand injuries, safe work practices to avoid hand injuries, hand injury statistics of TSPL of past 3 years were discussed. More than 540 employees participated in the stand down to understand the biggest hazards at the workplace for hand.

TSPL ran for Cairn Pink City Half Marathon: More than 50 employees of TSPL and business partners enthusiastically contributed to the world record for Cairn Pink City Half marathon yesterday. The Senior leaders of TSPL, STEAG and business partners promoted the cause TSPL team participated in Cairn Pink City #wearmasksavelives. Half Marathon

HINDUSTAN ZINC LIMITED

Hindustan Zinc becomes COP26 Business Leader: Hindustan Zinc has set Science Based Targets to support action on climate and as a result the company has been identified as a key sustainability leader in mining sector within India and the wider region. The purpose of the COP26 Business Leaders is to bring an exclusive set of industry leaders from across a diverse number of economic sectors (mining Hindustan Zinc becomes COP26 Business Leader and resources producer in Hindustan Zinc's case) to get perspectives on how we can drive further climate action across value and supply chains.

National Energy Conservation Day: The National Energy Conservation Day was celebrated on 14th December. As a responsible mining company, HZL is mindful of utilisation of natural resources and focusses on renewable sources like solar and wind energy. A post highlighting our renewable energy efforts was Mr. Arun Misra, CEO, HZL speaking at amplified on Social Media. IIME Webinar

IIME Webinar in association with Hindustan Zinc: The Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers in association with Hindustan Zinc planned a webinar titled – Mineral Conservation through Mineral Beneficiation – on the 19th December. CEO, HZL – Mr. Arun Misra and Business Head, VZI – Mr. Laxman Singh Shekhawat were the speakers from Vedanta Group at this webinar.

ESL

ESL inaugurates Archery Academy to support the talent in Jharkhand : ESL Steel Limited has launched an archery academy in Hundru, Siyaljori to support and promote the sport in Jharkhand, which has traditionally been involved in the field of archery and has produced some of the finest talent in the field.

Recognizing the importance of preserving this legacy, ESL launched the ‘Archery Academy’ to train 35 individuals under experts from the field. The state-of-the-art academy is fully equipped with facilities including accommodation, dining, gym, archery kits, uniforms and medical facility.

Sushma Devi, President Zila Parishad, Bokaro added, “This is another student- centric initiative by ESL. The Archery Academy is a step in the right direction as it enables the students to pursue their passion and make the state proud. The experts at the academy will instill the students with qualities that are required to win at the state and national level games. ESL has always shown compassion towards the community and I wish that this new project proves to be as fruitful as the previous ones.”

ESL Steel Limited Launches Skill School for Youth in Jharkhand: ESL Steel Limited has launched skill schools with an aim to impart training through a short duration vocational program to the unemployed youth.

Based on the NSDC guidelines, the beneficiaries PN Singh, Member of Parliament, Dhanbad inaugurated Vedanta Skill School of the project include men and women within the age group of 18-35 years. The minimum qualification required - 5th pass to pursue “Sewing Machine Operator” and 10th /ITI/Diploma to become a “Solar PV Installer”. After training, the students will be able to earn the salary between Rs. 10000-15000 per month.

Abhishek Singh, National Head, Learnet Skills Limited added, “As a leading vocational and employability training company, our aim is to reach out to the youth of India which has immense potential but finds it hard to attain skills that are a mandate in securing a job. Together with ESL, we have realized this vision of making the youth independent and empowered. I wish ESL all the best and I hope that they touch the lives of more individuals through this great initiative.”

ESL Steel Limited Organizes a Webinar to Create Awareness on World AIDS Day: ESL Steel Limited, in association with Citizens Foundation (PIA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Jharkhand organized a webinar on “Sustainable practices in AIDS Awareness” on World AIDS Day.

The event was graced by the presence of MD National Health Mission, Mr. Ravi Shankar Shukla, CEO ESL Steel Limited, Mr. Pankaj Malhan, Civil Surgeon (Bokaro) Dr. Ashok Kumar Pathak, and other dignitaries. Also present were at least 30 lactating mothers and adolescents associated with Nandghar, 35 members from Babugram village and 22 PRI members/opinion leaders from nearby villages.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

GREAT MANAGERS AWARD – Vedanta honoured at Economic Times ‘Great Managers Awards 2020’ presented by People Business two years in a row. Ten leaders from Vedanta have received recognition at the ‘Great Managers Awards 2020’. The company’s businesses, BALCO, Hindustan Zinc, VL Jharsuguda and VL Lanjigarh have also secured a place in the Top 20 List of Companies. The awards witnessed the participation of around 30,000 high- potential managers from top MNCs across the country, out of which top 50 great managers made it to the prestigious Great Managers list. The nominated managers were assessed on key managerial criteria based on R-OPTI model followed by a stringent process that included an assessment as well as interviews with industry experts. The ten leaders in the coveted list belong to diverse businesses of Great Managers Award Vedanta Ltd. The managers are Ajay Sharma, Sandeep Modi, Pankaj Jain, Sadhna Verma, Rajesh Luhadia, Amit Kumar Singh, Pravin Kumar, Gobinda Gopal Pal, Rahul Sharma and Krittika Bhatt.

Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director BALCO has been awarded as ‘Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia 2020-21’, by Economic Times in a virtual ceremony on December 15, 2020. This award recognizes the eminent business leaders who are going to play an important part in Mr. Abhijit Pati

Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh won the CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management 2020: Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh has won the CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management 2020, emerging as ‘Noteworthy Water Efficient Unit’ under the “Within the Fence’ category. Vedanta Lanjigarh WON CII National Award For Excellence In Water Management 2020 Best practices were adopted under “ Reduce, Reuse & Recycle’ concept, reducing the freshwater consumption on a yearly basis, implementing various rainwater harvesting systems as well as water conservation projects.

BALCO won “Diamond Rating” & secured “Runner Up” Position in Large Category (Manufacturing Sector) CII National 5S Excellence Awards- 2020.The award presentation ceremony held over virtual BALCO won Diamond Rating at CII National 5S platform. Excellence Awards- 2020

Sindesar Khurd Mine of HZL has been awarded “CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management 2020” for ‘Within the Fence’ category in the CII International Water Innovation Summit. SK Mine was recognised for its endeavour in excellent water resource management and achieving positive water BALCO won Diamond Rating at CII National 5S Excellence Awards- 2020 credit by maximum utilization of - treated water from sewage into operations, recycle of water through paste fill operation, use of reclaimed water from tailing dam, and measures taken towards ground water recharge.