Vedanta Lanjigarh’s Project Utthan boosts employment opportunities in Kalahandi and Rayagada

73 graduate youths have been hired for various roles at the alumina refinery operations
Lanjigarh, Kalahandi; April 25, 2023: Run by Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, Project Utthan has been working towards creating employment opportunities for the youth of Kalahandi and Rayagada, with a focus on those who have completed their graduate-level studies. The company has recently hired 73 youths from Kalahandi and Rayagada districts in various roles at the alumina refinery. Of the students hired, 43 students belong to Kalahandi district whereas 30 students hail from Rayagada district. The appointment letters were presented to the new hires from Kalahandi by Ms. P Anwesha Reddy (IAS), Collector and District Magistrate, in a function at the Bhawanipatna Town Hall today.
The word Utthan, which means to ‘lift up’, perfectly encapsulates the vision of the program, which is to provide a leg up to young individuals hailing from remote communities with limited possibilities for employment, in taking their first steps towards fulfilling careers. This allows them to participate in, and thereby lead their communities into, the socio-economic mainstream without being forced to relocate to distant areas to earn their livelihood.
As part of the program, the youths will also undergo further training to grow into leadership roles. Since commencing operations, Vedanta Lanjigarh has hired over 270 graduate students from Kalahandi and Rayagada districts as permanent staff in both technical and non-technical functions, several of whom have attained managerial positions. Through this effort, it has deepened its talent pool with qualified and competent employees from local communities. In addition to this, the company has also employed nearly 4000 people from Kalahandi and Rayagada in technical roles. This has gone on to augment local employment, enhancing the quality of life enjoyed by rural communities.
Highlighting the impact of Project Utthan, Mr GG Pal, Dy. CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Limited, said, “Vedanta Lanjigarh has always championed socio-economic development of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. Sustainable livelihood opportunities are an important lever in accelerating the pace of community development, making people equal participants in their own progress. Our ‘Project Utthan’ focuses on enabling local youths with meaningful opportunities to succeed professionally while also staying close to their roots. I wish each of our young and talented recruits the best in their careers and look forward to seeing them take our company and their communities to greater heights.”