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New Delhi, 14th July 2025: On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, Vedanta (NSE: VEDL), India’s leading critical minerals, energy transition metals, energy and technology conglomerate announces that nearly 15 lakh people across India have been skilled through its skill development initiatives in the past 5 years. Focusing on rural communities near its operations, these programs are helping bridge the gap between unskilled and semi-skilled youths. Aligned with the Government of India’s Skill India Mission and Kaushal Bharat Abhiyaan, Vedanta’s skilling initiatives provide rural youth secure jobs by gaining market-relevant skills and entrepreneurship, thereby enabling youths to enter the socio-economic mainstream through sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Vedanta’s skill development programs are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 8, namely, Decent Work and Economic Growth. They are designed and deployed in close partnership with leading knowledge providers. This is in line with the company’s aim to empower 25 lakh people with enhanced skillsets by 2030. Vedanta’s skilling & training centres footprint goes beyond 200 centres across India with more than 40 technical and non-technical trades offered to the youth including solar technicians, forklift operations, hospitality, sewing, finance, etc. The company’s skilling centres have a 91% placement rate with an average salary of INR 15,000.
According to the Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), among persons aged 15-29, only about 2% have received formal vocational training, and 8% have received non-formal vocational training in India. This suggests that very few new entrants to the workforce in this age group have any marketable skills. Comparative data for developed economies show that in Korea, 96% of the population has received formal vocational training while in Germany, it is 75%, in Japan it is 80%, and in the United Kingdom, it is 68%.
India is one of the youngest nations in the world, with more than 62% of its population in the working age group (15-59 years). Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal has repeatedly stressed on the need to reap this demographic dividend which is expected to last for the next 25 years. In a recent tweet, Anil Agarwal wrote, “…out of the 20 largest economies in the world, India has the youngest population. According to World Population Review, the average Indian is just 28.7 years old and 50% are younger than that. This is a huge advantage. Let’s invest in our youngsters, women and men, girls and boys. They will be world beaters.”
Amongst the various skilling programs, Vedanta’s noteworthy initiatives include Zinc Kaushal Kendra (Rajasthan and Uttarakhand), BALCO’s Vedanta Skill Schools (Chhattisgarh), Cairn Enterprise Centre (Barmer, Rajasthan), SESA Technical School (Sanquelim, Goa) and Vedanta ESL Skill School (Bokaro, Jharkhand). The Zinc Kaushal program spanning 6 districts of Rajasthan and Uttarakhand has trained over 8,000 youths comprising 45% females of which more than 7000 youths have secured jobs in India and abroad. Priyanka Kumari, a beneficiary from Zinc Kaushal Kendra said, “After my father passed away, I had to support my family with only a Class 12 education. Finding a job was tough until I discovered Zinc Kaushal’s skill development courses. Despite the challenges and societal biases, I enrolled in an Unarmed Security Guard course. My perseverance paid off, and I landed a job in a leading security company in Gujarat, earning ₹21,000 monthly with free food and accommodation. I’m grateful to Zinc Kaushal for unlocking my potential and transforming my life.”
Sabnam Parween from Budhibinor village, Bokaro, had to pause her education due to financial hardship, with her family surviving on meagre income. Her prospects changed when a mobiliser from Vedanta ESL Skill School introduced her to a free 3-month Solar PV Technician course, offering food, accommodation, and job placement. The training built her skills and confidence, leading her to become the first girl in her village to secure a job in the solar sector, earning ₹1.98 lakh per annum. Sabnam’s journey reflects the power of opportunity and the impact of skill development in transforming lives.
The Vedanta Skill School in Chhattisgarh, a 5-star SMART Centre accredited by the Government of India has been leading socio-economic transformation by upskilling over 12,000 rural youth in multiple technical and non-technical trades and providing 100% placement opportunities.
In addition to its skilling initiatives, Vedanta is investing in early childhood development and social infrastructure through the Nand Ghar programme, which has now scaled to over 8,500 centres across 15 states. These modern anganwadis provide nutrition, education, healthcare support and skill development to children and women in some of India’s most underserved communities—laying the foundation for a healthier, more empowered next generation.
Vedanta’s endeavours seamlessly align with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s vision to ‘unlock human capital to trigger a productivity dividend and bring aspirational employment and entrepreneurship pathways to all.
As part of its broader social impact and community development commitments, Vedanta’s initiatives have reached over 68 lakh people across India in FY 2025 with investments to the tune of INR 429 crores. Through long-term investments in skills, entrepreneurship, social infrastructure, and inclusive development, the company is contributing to India’s demographic dividend across thematic areas of education, women empowerment, agriculture, healthcare, and livelihoods.
