VEDANTA KHUSHI - JEEVAN TARANG ENHANCING SPECIAL TALENT OF SPECIAL CHILDREN

Hindustan Zinc improving academic opportunities of these specially abled children by distributing Android Smartphones to educate & learn…

Hindustan Zinc under its unique initiative  - “Jeevan Tarang”, on the occasion of World Disability Day distributed Android Smart Phones to blind students of Pragya Chakshu School, Udaipur and Badhir Baal Kalyan Vikas Samiti, Bhilwara on 4^th December, 2017 with an objective of enhancing academic opportunities for these children and mainstreaming them into the society.

These Android Smart phones will enable the visually impaired students to ‘Read & Write’ using Accessibility Features on the device. These phones will allow these students to access their textbooks in DAISY format from the world’s largest Online Library for the Print Disabled – ‘Bookshare’. This will bring these students at par with other students by allowing them to comprehend, read and prepare their academic content for better understanding hence making them competitive & ready for any exam. These Accessible devices will also allow the students to access the power of the internet and also gain worldly knowledge. They will also be able to enjoy games specially designed for Blind users on their phones.

The report says, India is home to the world's largest number of blind people. Out of 37 million people across the globe who are blind, over 15 million are from India. It is also known that quality education is an absolute necessity in order to succeed and progress in this knowledge driven world. Most of the current educational curriculum is oriented towards the use of the eyesight thus poses paramount challenges to the blind and visually impaired students.

Many organizations are working consciously and tirelessly to ensure these children get their due attention. Through Jeevan Tarang, Hindustan Zinc has provided these Android phones to the students from Class 1^st – Class 5^th of Pragya Chakshu School, Udaipur and to all the students of Badhir Baal Kalyan Vikas Samiti, Bhilwara accessing them the basic human right to educate & learn, a critical step on the path to economic, educational, and social development. Hindustan Zinc has partnered with experts to build capacities of these institutions and under this initiative Mr. Nitin Patel has been appointed in both these schools as a trainer to train these students in these advanced gadgets.

The Chief Guest of the event, Amitabh Gupta – CFO, HZL expressed his happiness to see the passion of these students to learn and climb up the ladder of success. He emphasized that through Jeevan Tarang, Hindustan Zinc strives to provide better opportunities to these students to grow and learn.

Pavan Kaushik – Head Corporate Communication said “There is a need to understand and up-bring these children with all love and care. Jeevan Tarang is an initiative to ensure that every single ability & disability gets the same opportunities and recognition thus ensuring the development of both social & cognitive skills.”

‘Jeevan Tarang’ endeavours to support people with disabilities, with a focus to identify needs of deaf-mute, visually impaired and children with brain damages. Around 500 beneficiaries have been identified from HZL’s operational areas; Kayad Mine, Rampura Agucha Mine, Chanderiya Smelting Complex and Udaipur.

HINDUSTAN ZINC’S JEEVAN TARANG INITIATES ‘GARV SE’ CAMPAIGN FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

Mainstreaming the specially abled children by bringing them together with the society/community…

Hindustan Zinc under its ‘Jeevan Tarang – Zinc Ke Sang’ Project has initiated around six month long Campaign – ‘Garv Se’ where these Special Children of God would be participating in series of creative activities to engage them with Hindustan Zinc employees & their families on a same platform.

The program has been formally launched by Hindustan Zinc Ladies Club on 26^th September, 2017 where Painting Workshop along with other artistic activities – clay modelling, diya painting & block painting were organized that saw the participation of around 60 children from Viklang Kalyan Samiti, Udaipur & Prayas Sansthan, Udaipur.

The objective of the Campaign is to mainstream the specially abled children by bringing them together with the society/community and Garv Se has been a step towards it by engaging Hindustan Zinc employees and their families through the series of engagements – movie screening, sports, trekking, dance workshops to name a few.

"Jeevan Tarang - Zinc Ke Sang” was formally launched on Foundation Day of Hindustan Zinc, i.e., on 10^th January, 2017.

The fact says that there are over 70 million disabled people in India out of which over 12 million are hearing impaired with hardly 500 government aided Deaf schools providing formal education to these children. Even the teachers working in these schools are not equipped or trained to teach the hearing impaired students as Sign Language is still not accepted as a medium of teaching and communication. More than 90 % of students with deafness do not have access to and are out of the formal education system. Lack of access to language has also kept the deaf away from development of social and cognitive skills.

Mr. Pavan Kaushik – Head Corporate Communication said “There is a need to understand and up-bring these children with all love and care. Jeevan Tarang is an initiative to work towards a more inclusive society, where every single ability & disability gets the same opportunities and recognition.”

‘Jeevan Tarang’ endeavours to support people with disabilities, with a focus to identify needs of deaf-mute, visually impaired and children with brain damages. Around 500 beneficiaries have been identified from HZL’s operational areas; Kayad Mine, Rampura Agucha Mine, Chanderiya Smelting Complex and Udaipur. Access to knowledge is a basic and human right, a critical first step on the path to economic, educational, and social development. Hindustan Zinc has partnered with experts to build capacities of these institutions.

Hindustan Zinc has also partnered with National Handicapped Finance & Development Corporation to support for Skill Building of the disabled persons from among Hindustan Zinc’s districts. 

Also present were Ms. Neelima Khetan – Head CSR, HZL, members of Hindustan Zinc Ladies Club along with HZl employees and their families during the program.

VEDANTA KHUSHI - JEEVAN TARANG - SPECIAL CHILDREN TO GET SPECIAL ATTENTION BY HINDUSTAN ZINC

Jeevan Tarang – Zinc ke Sang - to enhance education and skill opportunities of more than 500 children with disabilities…

There are few children that god has made with lots of love, affection & care and this is the reason, these children are known as 'special children of God'. These children make you smile instantly and also brings tears in our eyes. As these are special children,  they do require and need a lot of care and attention.  

Many organizations are working consciously and tirelessly to ensure these children get their due attention. “Jeevan Tarang” is a unique initiative launched by Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company with an objective of enhancing education and skill opportunities for the disabled, and mainstreaming them into the society. Under the program, around 500 beneficiaries have been identified from Hindustan Zinc’s operational areas by working with schools for deaf-mute, visually impaired and for children with brain damages in Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and Udaipur.

"Jeevan Tarang - Zinc Ke Sang” was formally launched on Foundation Day of Hindustan Zinc, i.e., on 10^th January, 2017.

On 30^th August, 2017, on Zinc Day, Children of Jeevan Tarang from Shri Sanwaliya Bahuuddeshay Viklang Seva Sansthan (SSBVSS), Chittorgarh, Baadhit Baal Vikas Samiti, Ajmer, Viklang Kalyan Samiti, Udaipur and Badhir Baal Vikas Kalyan Samiti, Bhilwara performed during the cultural evening and enthralled the audience with their beautiful heart touching performances.

During the program, Hindustan Zinc also partnered with Noida Deaf Society(NDS) to develop a long-term vision and roadmap for the institutes of Deaf-Mute children. NDS has set up four permanent separate trainers (Deaf Mute themselves) who will teach Indian Sign Language(ISL) to students. Jeevan Tarang  also focuses on capacity building of teachers by teaching them ISL, who then will be equipped to teach the courses in ISL. Through this partnership, the aim is to enable 400 children learn sign language so to empower the children by imparting education and vocational training for rehabilitation of hearing and speaking impaired children, instilling self-confidence and skills & qualitatively improve both their professional and personal potential to be an active contributor to society.

During the program, Mr. Sunil Duggal – CEO, HZL said “The need is to up-bring these children with all love and care. After all they are special children of god and through Jeevan Tarang we strive to provide them with better opportunities to grow and learn.”

The fact says that there are over 70 million disabled people in India out of which over 12 million are hearing impaired with hardly 500 govt aided Deaf schools providing formal education to deaf children. Even the teachers working in these schools are not equipped or trained to teach the hearing impaired students as Sign Language is still not accepted as a medium of teaching and communication. More than 90 % of students with deafness do not have access to and are out of the formal education system. Lack of access to language has also kept the deaf away from development of social and cognitive skills.

Mr. Pavan Kaushik – Head, Corporate Communication said “Jeevan Tarang is an initiative to work towards a more inclusive society, where every single ability & disability gets the same opportunities and recognition. Hindustan Zinc has partnered with experts to build capacities of these institutions and also engaging industry representatives to ensure good job opportunities for them.”

Also present were Mr. Ashwin Bajaj – Director, Investor Relations, Vedanta Group, Mr. Amitabh Gupta – CFO, HZL, Mr. Naveen Singhal – Head Projects, HZL, Mr. L.S. Shekawat – COO, Mines, Mr. Pankaj Kumar – COO, Smelters, Mr. Ramakrishnan Kasinath – Chief Commercial Officer, HZL, Mrs. Sonal Shrivastava – Dy. CFO, Mrs. Neelima Khetan – Head CSR, HZL, Mr. V. Jayaraman – Head EOHS, Ms. Ruma Roka – Founder of NDS and other HZL representatives during the program.

VEDANTA HINDUSTAN ZINC OPENS 2 NAND GHARS IN AJMER, RAJASTHAN

Delivering long-term benefits to communities by strengthening the foundation of children below the age of seven years - their nutrition, health and education… 

The report says, there are 7.5 crore underprivileged children living in remote rural areas, below the age of seven years, who are in need of proper nutrition, health care and education. Our primary focus, therefore, is to start at the grass root level with the holistic development of children and women, who form the future of our nation.

This is where, Vedanta came up with the concept of “Nand Ghar" designed in partnership with the ministry of women and child development. It is an extension to the existing Anganwadi initiative for providing a better environment to the children of India by addressing issues relating to pre-primary education, health care, nutrition and economic empowerment for women in rural India.

Mr. Anil Agarwal – Chairman, Vedanta Group believes “In order to secure the future of India, we have to safeguard the present. To strengthen the foundation of children, it is important to address issues relating to pre-primary education, health care, nutrition for children and economic empowerment for women in rural India”.

Taking his vision forward, Vedanta has joined hands with the Government to revamp 4000 anganwadi centres across India under the Project ‘Nand Ghar’. Today, more than 100 “Nand Ghars” across three states has resulted in marked improvement in attendance, learning abilities and school readiness, by deploying e-learning modules in education and soft skills in collaboration with world-class partners and they are now equipped with TVs, solar panels and toilets. 

On 31^st July, 2017, 2 “Nand Ghars” - Khanpura & Parbatpura have also been inaugurated in Ajmer District by the Chief Guest - Ms. Anita Bhadel – Hon’ble Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of Rajasthan and with this 10 Nand Ghars have been constructed in Ajmer district with 25 more Nand Ghars are in pipeline.

During the inaugural ceremony, Ms. Bhadel said “Government and Vedanta Hindustan Zinc have done their bit by providing well equipped facilities for primary education, nutrition services along with related healthcare services for both mother and child including skill training for women, it’s now the communities have to come forward and support it by actively participating in it.” She also mentioned that if a mother anchors the responsibility of her child’s education, the benefit will percolate to her next 7 generations.

To make the project more cohesive, “Nand Ghar” act as a focal area for immunisation, gender sensitisation and maternal care. It also aims to enhance the learning environment through an e-learning module and skill enhancement program for women where they will undergo entrepreneurship training, including skill enhancement, to start their own micro enterprise with credit linkages, thereby increasing their contribution towards the Indian economy.

The Nand Ghars are in line with Prime Minister of India’s vision of social development and will prove to be a stepping stone for building the future human capital as productive, passionate and persistent towards the growth.

Also present on the occasion were Mrs. Neelima Khetan – Head CSR, HZL, Mr. Sampat Sankhla – Dy. Mayor, Ajmer,  Mrs. Anupama Tailor – Dy. Director, Women & Child Development, Mr. Nitesh Yadav - ICDS, Mr. Raes Ahemad - Counsellor along with Anganwadi workers and Hindustan Zinc’s CSR representatives.

VEDANTA KHUSHI - 264 ANGANWADI CENTRES JOIN “KHUSHI” IN KOTRA

Hindustan Zinc reaching out to 3055 Anganwadis of the ICDS Department in 5 districts of Rajasthan i.e. Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Ajmer…

“Care for the underprivileged children is very close to my heart” says Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group. “No child in India should remain malnourished and be deprived of nutrition, health and primary education” is what his vision is. In this process Vedanta initiated adoption of government run Anganwadis in the year 2008. The intervention was for a limited period, benefiting children in age-group of 0-6 years.

In year 2015, Hindustan Zinc signed the MoU with Government of Rajasthan to strengthen 3055 Anganwadis of the ICDS Department in 5 districts i.e. Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Ajmer of Rajasthan under its flagship project “Khushi” in 2 phases.

Last year under “Khushi” project, Hindustan Zinc reached out to 2295 Anganwadi centres in 5 districts of Rajasthan in phase 1.

As part of Phase 2, on 29^th June, 2017, Hindustan Zinc with partner NGO – Seva Mandir has now included 264 Anganwadi centres in Kotra Tehsil of Udaipur district and this year, the company will be covering more than 760 Anganwadi centres in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. The Chief Guest of the event was Ms. Taru Surana – Dy. Director, ICDS, Udaipur District who unveiled “Khushi” Board to initiate the program. During the program, Ms. Taru said “Anganwadi program will be strengthened with the intervention of Hindustan Zinc to improve attendance, health and the well-being of Anganwadi children.”

 

BUSINESS STANDARD: ADDING VALUE TO INDIA'S DEMOGRAPHIC WEALTH

Anil Agarwal  I  10th June, 2017

It is said that age is just a number, and that this number will be an advantage for India in years to come as it inches closer to becoming the youngest country in the world, and perhaps the most populous.
With women accounting for just 23 per cent of the workforce in India today as compared to China's 46 per cent, we need to look beyond the current paradigm of job seekers and job creators. Demography and economy must go hand in hand, and considering how diverse India is, our economy needs its people to fuel growth. I am confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already sensed this as it is aligned with his vision for launching “Skill India".
Our ultimate objective is to eradicate poverty and create employment for youth and this requires some visionary thinking. The government is already shifting focus to the growth of manufacturing industry. If we compare our economy to that of our neighbours, China for instance, as of 2015, the manufacturing industrial sectors contributed 40 per cent of China's GDP, while in India this contribution is just 25 per cent.
India is blessed with a very rich geology, and I strongly believe that India's journey to self-sufficiency in the natural resources sector, including oil and gas, has the capacity to create millions of job opportunities, which will overcome some of the greatest impediments to growth on the socio-economic and political front. We have a large amount of headroom, as mining accounts for only 2.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product, whereas in other mineral-rich countries such as Australia, it is around 10 per cent.
This process will also encourage the development of thousands of SMEs, which will lead to the building of a modern economy that will empower people and improve their lives, ultimately fuelling growth and encouraging young entrepreneurs. Efforts must also be made to ensure empowerment of women, so that they are placed in the forefront to contribute more actively towards the country's GDP.
Across the globe, educating and empowering women has proven time and again to be the catalyst for rapid socio-economic and political growth. Women form a very significant part our society and demonstrate great skill, intelligence, hard work and innovation. If we harness the potential of these attributes through a proper skill development programme, India's growth will be very equitable and inclusive.
In order to secure the future of India, we have to safeguard the present. I pledge to give 75 per cent of my wealth for the social good. To strengthen the foundation of children below the age of seven years  their nutrition, health and education  I am prepared to spearhead this responsibility in association with the government in a very structured manner. This includes nurturing 7.5 crore underprivileged children living in remote rural areas, below the age of seven years, who are in need of proper nutrition, health care and education. Our primary focus, therefore, is to start at the grass root level with the holistic development of children and women, who form the future of our nation.
It is with these objectives that we have reimagined the concept of Anganwadis, as project “Nand Ghar" (symbolising the child avatar of Lord Krishna), or “home for young ones" as centres of learning for both women and children. The project, which addresses issues relating to pre-primary education, health care, nutrition for children and economic empowerment for women in rural India, has been designed in partnership with the ministry of women and child development. These Nand Ghars have clean toilets, safe drinking water and electricity through solar panels and various education and recreation facilities.
Today, our pilot of 100 Nand Ghars across three states has shown a marked improvement in attendance, learning abilities and school readiness, by deploying e-learning modules in education and soft skills in collaboration with world-class partners. To make the model integrated, we are ensuring that the women undergo entrepreneurship training, including skill enhancement, to start their own micro enterprise with credit linkages, thereby increasing their contribution towards the Indian economy.
Nand Ghars will prove to be a stepping stone for future human capital that would be value-based, productive, passionate, and full of energy and ideas. With this upbringing, these children will contribute positively towards society and live a dignified life in future.
I firmly believe that strong social initiatives will be a game changer in terms of delivering long-term benefits to communities, and will place India at the top in the global economic arena. It is always better to bring change in the system if it simplifies procedures and brings the desired results. By incorporating facilities to empower women and children we aim to add value to India's unmatched demographic wealth. 

ECONOMIC TIMES: THREE YEARS MORNING SHOWS THE DAY

By Anil Agarwal I May 27, 2017

Demonetisation was announced on November 8, 2016. That one night changed the fortunes of many and brought good luck to many others. History was created. Some slept peacefully while others could not sleep at all. But one thing was certain: whether it was an individual or a company, an honest taxpayer had no worries.
Vedanta was among one of the many companies that stayed grounded during demonetisation. There had been no cash transactions for several years in the group companies. More than 80,000 people, directly or indirectly attached with Vedanta as employees or contract employees, stood fearless. Their faith in the Indian economy was reinstated.
Equally commending is the implementation of the goods and services tax). The uniformity in the stabilisation of the economy will bring a unique balance of trade within the country. The simpler — and the more unified — the tax structure, the better it is for the economy in the long run.
The transformation of the Indian economy was taking place by simultaneous monetisation and demonetisation. Many felt proud belonging to this new India, this modern India, a monetised India with its potential to Make in India.
Many projects like Digital India, Make in India and Swachh Bharat launched by the government are not just names coined to fulfil the needs and aspirations of people. The projects are also bringing hope, providing opportunities for many more new industries to open up and create millions of employment opportunities and help towards eradication of poverty.
Make in India has opened up new business models, the startups that want to get a taste of this dynamic new economy. Innovations have started and companies are importing global technology. For once, the world is seeing India with a new vision and a nation that can revive global economy.
If we do not initiate Make in India now, we will always remain an economy of imports. What the country would earn would only be utilised towards footing the import bill. Moreover, it would never bring prosperity in any capacity, as there would be no new jobs due to lack of new industries.
Like everyone, I too have a dream. I hope to make India the world’s largest zinc, aluminium and iron ore producer in the world. I hope to further maximum production of oil and gas for India so we can reduce our import bill. I also want to make the country self-sufficient in gold, fertiliser and technology.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently stated that the development of natural resources can be a game-changer for creating employment for millions. It’s a matter of time before our natural resources are sustainably developed to strengthen the economy and create millions of jobs to eradicate poverty, particularly in rural India.

FINANCIAL EXPRESS: REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: VEDANTA RESOURCES’ ANIL AGARWAL SAYS ‘CREATE AN UMBRELLA MINISTRY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES’

By Anil Agarwal I Published: May 15, 2017

Vedanta fully endorses the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Ji on utilization of immense human capital clubbed with natural resources of India for creation of millions of employment opportunities in India and making India a USD 5 trillion economy in the next few years.  A recent Morgan Stanley report also stated that with government policies and massive disruptive workforce Indian economy is well placed to reach USD 5 trillion mark by 2025.

The United States of the early to mid- 1900's has some striking parallels with the India of today. It was around this time that America began its journey towards becoming the world’s largest economy.

The biggest factors that propelled the growth and transformation of the US were technology, natural resources, manufacturing and private enterprise; a few men who dreamt big helped create the modern America. Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, J P Morgan and Henry Ford with their entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach built businesses that helped make the transition to the modern industrial era. They laid the foundations of the American steel industry, oil and gas, natural resources and mining, manufacturing, finance and infrastructure building including roads, rail and ports.

America’s growth journey has some lessons for India. Both are large vibrant democracies with abundant natural resources. While America benefited from a large flow of immigrants in search of the American dream, India has a large population in the working age group. More importantly, like the US, India has people with entrepreneurial spirit who can visualize a new India and unleash its potential.

India is a country with one of the largest reserves of natural resources in the world, the transformational potential of India’s resources sector is immense. Over $1-Trillion treasure is waiting to be explored in India. An open and simple exploration policy for extraction of natural resources will make India an economic powerhouse that will have the potential to create millions of employment and eradicate poverty.

India’s current underutilization of resources tells almost an unbelievable story. Despite having a similar geology to North America, Latin America, Australia and South Africa, we produce only 20% of our natural resource requirements. The mineral exploration industry in countries such as Canada spends over $2 billion per annum in green-field exploration, whereas India spends less than $50 million. 

The scope is immense since Indian almost imports 100% oil, gold, fertilizers and even electronics.  

What surprises is the bauxite mining in India, a raw material used to make aluminium. In spite of rich reserves of over 3.5 billion tonnes, that can make India the top 5 aluminium producers in the world, India is not able to mine bauxite for the last over 35 years. India has failed to tap the large aluminium market, widely known as a green metal, and lost out to countries like China that fully imports the raw material. Even with 3.5 billion tonnes of bauxite, which is the third largest reserve of bauxite in the world, India only manages an annual production less than 2 million tonnes of aluminium. In contrast, China that has no reserves of bauxite but produces about 20 million tonnes of aluminium annually.

The story is similar in the case of iron ore. Given our reserve level, we are in a position to produce quantities matching Brazil’s and Australia’s, which produce in the range of 600 million tonnes per annum. Against this, we have so far been producing a modest quantity of over 100 million tonnes on yearly basis that also stands drastically reduced due to cap on production.

Narendra Modi Ji transparency can prove to be a milestone in the history of job creation through utilization of natural resources as this is a sector that has the potential to create employment not just in urban sector but also in rural part of the country. This is a sector that needs young engineers, chartered accountants, management graduates, geologists, community service professionals, and also unskilled manpower that is sourced almost 100% from nearby villages.

What is needed is a simple policy that auctions natural resources in the most sustainable and transparent manner, on revenue sharing basis or highest royalty. It will also encourage young start-ups who are keen to develop ancillary industries to utilize the metals using best of global technology. The key to this simple revolution lies in a simpler regulatory framework, based on transparent policies and processes, emphasising self-declaration and strong deterrents and penalties for non-compliance.

We also need to simplify and unify our regulatory and approval process across the board by reducing at least 80% of our processes as well as clearance time. This can be done using technology, automation and simpler policies and rules. A simplified regulatory and approval process could be a good enabler to get the best out of our bureaucracy.

As a suggestion, to strengthen the country’s economy form a single large ministry to deal with development of all natural resources, bring oil & gas, mines, coal and steel under single umbrella and under a strong visionary leader. This new Ministry of Natural Resource would look into the optimum development of natural resources.

These are some of the factors that also enabled America to emerge as an economic powerhouse. India can follow suit as long as all stakeholders have the will and commitment.

The world is looking at India as the next destination after China. Some of the biggest advantages that India has are its vibrant democracy, a vigilant media and an excellent legal framework.

HINDUSTAN ZINC CERTIFIED AS “GREAT PLACE TO WORK”

The Company is proud to have about 14% women employees in fresh hires…

Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group Company in Zinc-Lead-Silver business has been recently certified as “Great Place to Work” by Great Place to Work Institute for building a high-trust, high-performance culture within the organization.  

Hindustan Zinc's sustainability framework is supported by three pillars - Responsible Stewardship, Building Strong Relationships and Adding & Sharing Value. The Company has always focused on grooming and empowering the leaders out of its employees. The Company provides a vibrant working environment to enable employees to innovate, discover potential and realise professional dreams to ultimately drive the Brand of Organization. With talent pool of about 17,000 employees including contract workers, spread across all its locations, the Company is proud to have about 14% women employees in fresh hires.

Great Place to Work Institute’s methodology is recognized as rigorous and objective and considered as the gold standard for defining great workplaces across business, academia and government organizations. Every year, more than 8000 organizations from over 50 countries partner Great Place to Work Institute for assessment, benchmarking and planning actions to strengthen their workplace culture. They represent the definitive employer-of-choice and workplace quality recognition any organization can receive.

HINDUSTAN ZINC TO PAY SPECIAL DIVIDEND OF RS. 13,985 CRORE

The Board of Directors of Hindustan Zinc has declared a special one-time interim dividend of 1375% i.e. Rs. 27.50 on every equity share of Rs. 2, entailing an outflow of Rs. 13,985 Crore including dividend distribution tax (DDT) on 22nd March, 2017. The record date for the dividend will be March 30, 2017.

Together with the Golden Jubilee dividend paid in April 2016 and the interim dividend paid in October 2016, the aggregate dividend being paid by Hindustan Zinc during this financial year will be Rs. 27,157 Crore including DDT, which is the largest dividend outflow by any company in India in a single financial year. Of this, Rs. 11,259 Crore will go to the Government. 

Agnivesh Agarwal - Chairman, HZL said, “We are pleased to reward our shareholders with a special dividend, which reflects the Company's confidence in its continued robust performance and demonstrates our commitment towards delivering value for our shareholders. Since disinvestment by the Government in 2002, the cumulative dividends paid by the Company, including the current special dividend, is Rs. 37,517 Crore including dividend distribution tax.”

PRIME MINISTER VISITS 'MAKE IN INDIA' INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION COMPLEX

As part of 16th Foundation Day celebrations of Chhattisgarh, Mineral Resource Department of Chhattisgarh established a Mining/Exploration Stall at 'Make in India' Exhibition Complex in association with Vedanta Exploration (VedEx) at Naya Raipur Exhibition Ground. The focus of this exhibition was on new startup companies, new initiations and new manufacturing concepts.
Vedanta won the first Gold Block auctioned in India (Baghmara, Chhattisgarh). In conjunction with Mineral Resources Department‐Chhattisgarh, VedEx displayed attractive posters on Exploration, Mining & CSR, screened videos on major gold exploration and mining companies with displays of Baghmara gold rock samples. Main attraction of mining stall was the showcase of a dummy with PPEs like helmet, goggle, dust mask, gloves, dangri, safety shoe, ear plug, battery helmet
torch, etc. Hon'ble Prime Minister ‐ Shri. Narendra Modi inaugurated and visited the Mining Stall along with the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh ‐ Mr. Raman Singh on 1st November, 2016. Mr. Terry Barclay ‐ Head Vedanta Exploration greeted the Prime Minister. Chhattisgarh Mines Secretary ‐ Mr. Subodh Singh briefed Prime Minister about Vedanta Baghmara Gold Block. Mines Secretary and the Director State Geology and Mines Department acknowledged and appreciated VedEx's contributions for making this program a grand success.

INNOVATORS OF ZINC - INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENT OF MOTORS SAVES RS. 40 LAKHS AT ZAWAR…

Indigenous development of motors saves Rs. 40 lakhs at Zawar…

Indigenous efforts of Hindustan Zinc have always proved and contributed towards reduction of costs and increase in volumes. One such effort saved Rs. 40 lakhs by indigenously developing OEM motors that were initially being imported. This is a case study of a team at Zawar Mines that brought down cost drastically by finding alternatives through in house research process.

The LOCO system in Zawar was very old and was leading to failure and subsequent breakdowns.  This was becoming the reason for substantial mine production loss. Thus, it was felt to replace the existing motors with a new set of motors.
Since the new set of OEM motors were costing around Rs. 24 lakhs it was felt to look for other possible opportunities to meet the requirements. A team led by Mr. Jorawar Singh (Commercial Head) and Mr. Tamil Selvan (AGM - Electrical) along with Ms. Apoorva Vyas (AM - Commercial) as its member started looking for opportunities and decided to opt for indigenously developed vendors in India by providing them with necessary technical details.
The efforts paid results. The team was successful in developing and procuring the same motor in India without the help of OEM and at a much reduced cost of just Rs. 4 Lakhs per motor.
Two motors were initially procured and installed in LOCO system and since the last 10 months the LOCO machines have been running smoothly and have also led to a saving of Rs. 40 lakhs.

CHAIRMAN HONOURED BY BIHAR CHAMBERS IN PATNA - AWARD PRESENTED BY HON'BLE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, GOVERNOR OF BIHAR, CHIEF MINISTER - BIHAR AND DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER - BIHAR

Mr. Anil Agarwal - Chairman, HZL was honoured on 9th September, 2016 by Bihar Chambers of Commerce and Industries in Patna on the occasion of the celebrations of their 90^th Anniversary. Chairman received the honour from Hon’ble Vice President – Mr. Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Hon. Governor of Bihar - Mr. Ramnath Kovind, Hon. Chief Minister Bihar – Mr. Nitish Kumar and Hon. Deputy Chief Minister Bihar – Mr. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

The award was bestowed on him for making the State of Bihar proud by becoming an extremely successful industrialist. While speaking to the media, Chairman spoke about his days in Bihar and how through his passion, determination and hard work, he has achieved what he is today. 

INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT RECEIVES RS. 2065 CRORE DIVIDEND TAX FROM HINDUSTAN ZINC

As part of dividend tax in view of the recently declared 1200% dividend by Hindustan Zinc, the Income Tax Department received Rs. 2065 crore from the Company on 12^th April, 2016. A symbolic cheque of Rs. 2065 crore was presented to Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Smt. Neena Kumar today by Hindustan Zinc CEO Sunil Duggal and company’s CFO Amitabh Gupta. Also present on this occasion were the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax O.P. Kanther, Director Projects of HZL Naveen Singhal and Head of Corporate Communication Pavan Kaushik.

Amitabh Gupta, the CFO of Hindustan Zinc informed that the Company has recently announced 1200% dividend, Rs. 24 on a share of Rs. 2, which entailed an outflow of Rs,. 12,205 crore including dividend tax, the actual dividend being 10,141 crore. The government share of dividend was about Rs. 3000 crore, as the government possesses  29% in Hindustan Zinc.  A cheque in this regard was presented by Hindustan Zinc to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 11^th April 2016. 

GOVERNMENT RECEIVES RS. 5059 CRORE DIVIDEND (INCL TAX) FROM HINDUSTAN ZINC

HZL’s Special Golden Jubilee dividend of Rs 12,205 crore (including DDT) to the shareholders is second highest ever in the country after Coal India. Mr. Sunil Duggal CEO Hindustan Zinc Limited presented a dividend cheque of Rs 2,995 crore to Hon’ble Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and the then Steel and Mines Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar on 11th April, 2016. The dividend was paid on account of Government of India’s residual stake of 29.54% in HZL (an erstwhile central public sector enterprise).
Secretary (Revenue) Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Secretary (Mines) Shri Balvinder Kumar, Mr. Tom Albanese, Group CEO, Vedanta, Mr. Tarun Jain, Group Finance Director Vedanta, Mr. Amitabh Gupta, CFO, Hindustan Zinc and other senior officials of Ministries of Finance and Mines were also present on the occasion.
The highest ever dividend by a private company to the Government of India. 

ET EXCLUSIVE Q&A - 'FOR MAKE IN INDIA, WE NEED MINE IN INDIA' - ANIL AGARWAL - CHAIRMAN, VEDANTA GROUP - November 18, 2015

Resources and infra are two areas where we need investment. We are dependent on imports, which amount to $600 b. In today's world, technology and capital is available. We need to simplify investment regime to get large investments

Anil Agarwal, Chairman of diversified resources major Vedanta Resources, still retains enough gumption to invest big in India, in spite of the searing slump in commodities and hurdles in getting regulatory approvals for mining. His Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha is working at a quarter of its production capacity and Chinese aluminium is killing the industry. However, he insists that his company is better-placed as it figures in the first quartile of production costs. He mentions a "few pinpricks", such as the delay in obtaining clearances and on retrospective taxes, and argues that “For Make in India, weneed to facilitate 'Find in India' and 'Mine in India'. In spite of the obstacles, his group is lining up . 20,500 crore of investments in Rajasthan in the next 3-5 years. Mr. Agarwal spoke to Ms. Rakhi Mazumdar and Mr. Satish John in a conference call from London, a day after he attended a meeting that top global CEOs had with Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to UK. Edited excerpts:

How did the meeting fare with the PM?

By and large Britain had done everything possible to welcome the PM. On both sides it was a huge delegation. It has been taken very well. While there were a few pinpricks like the retrospective tax, delay in getting clearances etc. they welcomed opening up of FDI in various sectors. The British PM, David Cameron, was around all the time while the PM was in London. India's reassurance on retro tax was well received. What is needed to boost FDI was also discussed. Vedanta has made the highest FDI in India -$30 billion in 10 years -while on India's side, the Tatas are the largest investor and employer in the UK.

You mentioned recently that the government should be nimbler and faster in decision-making. Can you elaborate?

Two things come to mind. We are a resource-based country. Resources and infrastructure are the two areas where we need investment. We are dependent on imports, which amount to around $600 billion. In today's world, technology and capital is available. We need to simplify our investment regime to get large investments.India needs 10 companies like Vedanta in resources, oil & gas, iron ore, gold, etc. The new MMDR Act is geared towards that. All we need is to have revenue sharing and a policy of self-certification with heavy penalty in case of any wrongdoing. We have to compare ourselves with China. We consume only 10% of what they do with a similar population size. That indicates the kind of growth potential that exists in India when we open up. For Make in India, we need to have `Find in India' and `Mine in India'. Mining is the biggest employer in the long term. Similarly, with the kind of infrastructure we have to build, there is huge employment generation that is possible. A country of 1.25 billion people needs to develop its own resources and infrastructure. Look at oil and gas. We do not have global majors like Shell, ExxonMobil, or a Total here. But they are present in Myanmar. While many buildings are coming up, we do not have proper sewerage, highways, roads, or enough electricity.Overall, we need to simplify things and also develop a sense of urgency to get things done.

How has the downturn in commodity markets impacted resource majors like the Vedanta Group? Can you share details about issues being faced in businesses like aluminium, zinc and oil & gas?

Prices have fallen in the downturn. However, we are in the first quartile of the cost of production curve. Also, we are in the process of reducing our cost of production further. We are India-based, where consumption is good; we have a balanced portfolio with aluminium, copper, zinc, iron ore and oil & gas.

I will go one by one. Aluminium is a natural product for India, given our large reserves of bauxite and coal. We should be able to be the lowest cost producer of aluminium. That can create jobs and remove poverty. We should focus on developing `semis' under Make in India since processing of aluminium can give rise to hundreds of industries. For example, around 500 kg of aluminium goes into each car, in components like die castings, radiators, etc. Aluminium can boost Make in India in a big way. We have a large 3 million tonne (mt) capacity in aluminium in India, which we are operating at 40% capacity now. We are looking at getting bauxite to raise capacity utilisation. In zinc and lead and silver, in which we are one of largest producers at Hindustan Zinc, we raised capacity more than 10-fold in the last 12-13 years from 1.5 lakh tonne. In Goa, iron ore mining resumed after a three-and-half-year shutdown. Two things are hurting us. Prices have fallen to such an extent. We also expect the government to abolish the 10% tax on exports of low-grade ore. The government should provide more room for exploration. A liberal exploration policy will also generate self-employment. We need ten times more than what we are doing today. In oil & gas, ONGC produces 6 lakh barrels, we produce 3 lakh barrels which we will enhance to 5 lakh barrels in both on shore and off shore at an investment of $10 billion.

When do you see commodity cycles changing course for a recovery in prices?

While in (case of) iron and oil, prices may come up by 15-20%. However, it is likely to remain at that level thereafter.

There have been very few greenfield projects that are coming up in India. Why are industrialists hesitating from investing in greenfield projects (like Lanjigarh)? What will give them confidence?

It is true that industry today has less courage for new sites. The interest rates are very high and that makes projects unviable. I don't know the answer. The trend is nobody has the mood or the zeal to start a new investment. After all, the existing one has to run healthily. However, it is a question of time. Large capacities have to come up in every sector, government has to get it either through public, private or investment by multinational companies. In iron ore, for instance, we have tremendous potential. We have the same geology as in Australia. While the latter developed its iron ore and survived on it, we produce only 100 mt whereas our capacity is to produce 600 mt.Once we get going, it won't take time to reach that volume. However, in India, royalty and taxes are amongst the highest in the world.

What is the status at Lanjigarh?

In Lanjigarh, our refinery is at the base of the bauxite reserve. We are operating it at 25% capacity. We are importing bauxite to run it, while we have given up our rights to the mine which is now owned by Odisha Mining Corp and the Odisha government. It has to be used sometime or the other. If it has to be used, we need the consent of the people. Hopefully, we will get it sooner or later.

The Vedanta Group has lined up 20,500 crore in fresh investments in the next 3-5 years in Rajasthan. Do you think it is the right time to invest there? You are also talking of investing in potash.

We have already invested in zinc and oil & gas business there. Apart from expanding our capacity in zinc and oil, we also hope to develop fertilisers since they have rock phosphate and we already produce sulphuric acid. The state has tremendous resource potential in oil & gas, rock phosphate, potash and marble. In marble, the potential is much more than even Italy which has large quarries employing 10,000 people who cut and polish the stone at same site. As part of Resurgent Rajasthan, the chief minister is calling on investors and has received good response. The Centre has allowed states to do the mineral auctions and it can be done for potash, limestone, marble and also gold of which it has good reserves. In case of potash, we need $4-5 billion investment since we import our entire requirement. The state will also benefit from a liberal exploration policy.

Will you enlist a technology partner for the fertiliser project?

We have not come to that stage yet. We have people who run these businesses and work for us from the likes of Rio Tinto, Anglo American, BHP and others, and can approach them in case we need to take on a technology partner.

How big a problem is dumping of aluminium?

Some 55% of aluminium coming into India is being dumped mainly by China. We need to have safeguard duty in place soon and increase the import duty to protect the domestic industry. In steel, 10% is being dumped and it already has a safeguard duty.

By when do you expect the Cairn-Vedanta merger to come through?

Some shareholders have called for a review. Our vision is to create a fully merged natural resources firm from India. We have moved in a transparent manner. The process is going on and if anything is required, the bankers will recommend it. It should take couple of months.

VEDANTA TO INVEST RS. 20,000 CORE IN RAJASTHAN

Focus on expansion of Zinc-Lead mines
and oil recovery, leading to substantive
employment generation

With a focus on Resurgent Rajasthan Summit held in Jaipur on 19th -20th November, 2015, Vedanta has signed MoUs to invest over Rs. 20,000 crore for the expansion of zinc-lead mines and its oil business in Rajasthan.
Vedanta's company Hindustan Zinc signed MoU on 5th May, 2015 in Jaipur to invest Rs. 8,357 crore for the development and expansions of new and existing zinc-lead ore mines & smelters in the districts of Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh,
Bhilwara and Ajmer and installation of new Fertilizer Plant. Hindustan Zinc has already invested close to Rs. 12,000 crore in its business in Rajasthan.
Hindustan Zinc is looking to expand its current mine production from 9.09 MTPA to 12.80 MTPA and finished metal production from 0.85 MTPA to 1.028 MTPA.
Hindustan Zinc has mines located in Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd, Zawar, Rajpura Dariba and Kayad, all in Rajasthan. The smelters of the company are located in Dariba, Chanderiya and Debari also in Rajasthan. Hindustan Zinc is looking to expand its all underground mines.
The new Fertilizer Plant to be commissioned will manufacture 0.5 MTPA of Di-Ammonium Phosphate in Debari in district Udaipur with an estimated investment of Rs. 1350 crores. The company intends to implement the Project in a period of next 3 years. This further investment would generate additional employment opportunities for more than 7000 people.
From Hindustan Zinc the MoU was signed by Mr. Sunil Duggal - Chief Executive Officer, HZL and from Rajasthan Government, the MoU was signed by Mr. Deepak Upreti – Principle Secretary, Mines & Petroleum Department, Government of Rajasthan. The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar – Union Minister of Steel & Mines, Government of India who was the Chief Guest, Mr. Piyush Goel – Hon'ble Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal and Renewal Energy, Government of India, Smt. Vasundhara Raje – Hon'ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Mr. Rajkumar Rinwa – Minister for Mines, Forest & Environment Department, Government of Rajasthan.

“Hindustan Zinc has been working closely with the Rajasthan Government, not just towards expanding business operations, but also for social projects. Hindustan Zinc has signed the MoU today with the Rajasthan Government worth Rs. 8,357 crore to be
invested in coming three years. We would be expanding our mines and smelters and also propose to set-up a fertilizer plant in Rajasthan”
Sunil Duggal, Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Zinc

Vedanta's another company in Rajasthan, Cairn India signed the MoU for investing Rs. 12,500 crore over the next 3 years. Cairn India is the largest investor in Rajasthan, producing crude oil to the order of 175,000 bbls/day and natural gas about 3 lac cubic meter per day for supplying to GNFC, Gujarat from three Petroleum Mining Lease areas.
Cairn India would be developing Mangla-Bhagyam extended oil recovery polymer, Mangla-Aishwariya in-fills, setting up Sulphate Removal Plant, and developing RGD Field which lays the foundation for sustainable gas production.
Cairn India will undertake these Projects in Barmer & Jalore districts of Rajasthan and these projects will generate substantial sustainable direct and indirect employment.