Holistic skilling ecosystem spans vocational training, women-led entrepreneurship, agriculture, sports and youth empowerment
46,000+ youth empowered through industry-aligned skilling initiatives since 2016
New Delhi, July 15, 2026: Marking World Youth Skills Day, Vedanta Group, the world’s leading metals, oil & gas, critical minerals, power and technology conglomerate, today announced that it has empowered nearly 20 lakh people through its skilling initiatives over the past six years, reinforcing its commitment to building an inclusive and future-ready workforce. Focused on enhancing employability and creating sustainable livelihoods across ages, genders and communities, Vedanta’s skilling ecosystem spans vocational and technical training, women-led entrepreneurship, agriculture and farmer capacity building, sports-based skill development, and youth empowerment programmes.
Aligned with the Government of India’s Skill India Mission, Kaushal Bharat Abhiyan, and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s vision of unlocking human capital to drive productivity, employment and entrepreneurship, Vedanta’s initiatives are creating pathways to sustainable livelihoods while supporting the nation’s long-term economic growth.
Vedanta’s skilling philosophy aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, follows a holistic approach that nurtures human potential from early childhood to employment and entrepreneurship. By strengthening foundational learning, equipping youth with industry-relevant skills, enabling women with livelihood opportunities and connecting communities to markets and employment, the company is creating an integrated ecosystem that promotes economic self-reliance and inclusive development.
A cornerstone of this approach is Nand Ghar, Vedanta’s flagship social impact programme that constitutes modernized anganwadis, which today spans 15,000 modern centres across 17 states. While transforming rural communities through early childhood care, nutrition and pre-primary education, Nand Ghar has also emerged as a powerful platform for women’s skill development, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and livelihood generation, enabling greater financial independence and strengthening rural economies.
Complementing these efforts are Vedanta’s youth-focused skilling initiatives, which bridge the gap between education and employment through industry-aligned vocational training, technical education and placement support. Since 2016, these initiatives have empowered more than 46,000 youth across the country. Youth are trained across 25 Skill Development Centres across states where Vedanta is present, with women accounting for 51% of trainees, preparing them for careers in manufacturing, digital services, hospitality, entrepreneurship, drone technology and other emerging sectors. Supported by a strong network of nearly 200 placement partners, the programmes have consistently achieved an 80% placement rate, with graduates securing an average annual CTC exceeding ₹2 lakh.
India today has one of the world’s youngest populations, yet only a small proportion of its workforce has received formal vocational training—significantly lower than many developed economies. As industries rapidly evolve with digital technologies, automation and advanced manufacturing, expanding access to industry-relevant skills has become critical to unlocking India’s demographic dividend. Vedanta is working alongside government, industry and implementation partners to help bridge this gap by creating employment-ready talent while strengthening local livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
Vedanta’s initiatives are implemented in partnership with leading government programmes, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), PM Vishwakarma, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Skill India Impact Bond (SIIB), the Mukhyamantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (MMKVY), and the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA), along with leading industry and implementation partners, ensuring that skilling remains aligned with evolving workforce requirements and regional aspirations.
Across Vedanta’s businesses, region-specific initiatives address local opportunities. Vedanta Aluminium equips youth with vocational and technical skills, Hindustan Zinc strengthens digital and service-sector employability, Vedanta Aluminium’s BALCO unit prepares rural youth for careers in advanced manufacturing, while Vedanta Oil & Gas is nurturing future-ready entrepreneurs through enterprise development, drone technology and digital capability-building.
The impact of this ecosystem is reflected in the lives it transforms. Coming from an economically marginalised background and overcoming personal adversity, Sarita Sahu from Odisha completed hospitality training through Vedanta’s Skill Development Centre and secured employment in the hospitality industry, rebuilding her confidence and achieving financial independence. In Rajasthan, Jitendra Singh, trained through Vedanta Oil & Gas’s Skill Development Centre, became a certified drone pilot and entrepreneur, today providing precision agriculture services that are improving farm productivity while creating a sustainable livelihood for himself.
As India advances towards becoming a developed nation, skill development will remain fundamental to driving inclusive growth, productivity and global competitiveness. Through sustained investments in people, strong partnerships and community-led interventions, Vedanta continues to build an ecosystem that transforms learning into livelihoods and potential into prosperity—supporting India’s vision of a skilled, self-reliant and future-ready nation.