Vedanta Group has said its skill development and livelihood initiatives have reached nearly 20 lakh people over the past six years, with programmes aimed at improving employability, supporting entrepreneurship and creating income opportunities across communities.

The announcement was made on World Youth Skills Day. The company said its initiatives cover vocational and technical training, women-led entrepreneurship, agriculture, sports-based development and youth-focused skill programmes. According to Vedanta, more than 46,000 young people have received industry-oriented training since 2016.

Vedanta said its skill development centres operate across states where the company has a presence. Training is offered in areas including manufacturing, hospitality, digital services, entrepreneurship, and drone technology. Women account for 51% of trainees enrolled in these programmes, the company said.

The company added that its network of nearly 200 placement partners has helped achieve an 80% placement rate for participants, with an average annual salary package of more than ₹2 lakh for those placed.

Vedanta said its initiatives are aligned with government programmes such as the Skill India Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), PM Vishwakarma, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Skill India Impact Bond (SIIB), Mukhyamantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (MMKVY) and the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA).

The company also highlighted the role of its Nand Ghar programme, which operates 15,000 modernised anganwadi centres across 17 states. Besides providing early childhood care, nutrition and pre-primary education, the centres are used for women's skill training, financial literacy and livelihood activities, according to the company.

Vedanta said its business units run region-specific programmes to address local employment needs. Vedanta Aluminium focuses on vocational and technical training; Hindustan Zinc provides digital and service-sector skills; BALCO trains rural youth for manufacturing jobs; and Vedanta Oil & Gas supports enterprise development and drone-based skills.

Examples provided by the company included that of Sarita Sahu from Odisha, who got a job in the hospitality sector following her hospitality training, and that of Jitendra Singh from Rajasthan, who became a licensed drone pilot and entrepreneur following his training at a Vedanta Oil & Gas skills development centre.

India has one of the youngest population bases in the world, yet the country lacks the formality of vocational training when compared to most developed nations. Vedanta stated that it was partnering with government bodies and implementing agencies to increase opportunities for such skills.