VEDANTA CSR: Employment

Showing posts with label Employment. Show all posts

EQUIPMENT INDIA MAGAZINE - SCALING UP SKILLS

A qualified and productive workforce in mining operations is of utmost importance. Pavan Kaushik elaborates on the efforts of Hindustan Zinc (HZL) and its Mining Academy in enhancing the skill levels of mining machine operators through its various hands-on training courses.

The natural resources industry in India has seen significant changes in the past 10 years in terms of technology, employment generation, metal production and attracting best of Indian and global talents of engineers and management graduates. The growth of mining projects in India has resulted in huge demands of skilled operators to operate sophisticated mining equipment such as jumbo drill, load haul dumper (LHD), low profile dumper truck (LPDT), etc. Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy is preparing the youth for these new and exciting opportunities.
The Beginning
In the past few years, there has been a tremendous growth in the mining sector worldwide and India is no exception. The demand of manpower in the natural resources sector is increasing year-after-year. To meet this demand, many international experts have joined at key positions to explore natural resources, improve metal recovery and build a future of sustainable mining.
As the industry is growing with the advent of automation and technology, the need for trained manpower is also increasing. This is where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the scope of employment opportunities with growth in natural resources sector. This led Hindustan Zinc, India's only and world's leading integrated producer of zinc, lead and silver, to identify areas that play crucial role in underground mining where the need for skilled manpower is being felt with a need to tap local talent. HZL has set up the Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy in collaboration with the Skill Council for Mining Sector and the training partner, Indian Institute of Skill Development Pvt Ltd.
Jumbo drill operators and winding engine operators came out as two distinct roles where the need for Indian skilled manpower could be deployed. These are currently being operated by expats at very high cost. Hindustan Zinc itself engages about 200 jumbo drill operators and 45 winding engine operators through business partners. The opportunities are set to move up with an increase in expansion of mines.
The Mining Academy was started as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative on August 1, 2014. The vision of this initiative was to provide a platform to local youth for developing highly specialised skills to operate the latest and the most advanced equipment used in underground mining operations, while making them self-reliant and opening paths for sustainable livelihood. The initiative has successfully delivered two batches of six-month residential programme on jumbo drill operators, followed by a six-month residential programme on underground mining equipment. In 2014-15, the academy trained 55 ITI/Diploma pass-outs in the jumbo drill and all of them got immediate placements.
After the huge success of the programme, Hindustan Zinc envisioned and made the programme more robust with quality changes. Currently, the academy runs three centres at Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Zawar near Udaipur, with 260 candidates from all over Rajasthan.
In October 2016, Hindustan Zinc commenced jumbo drill operator training to 120 ITI/Diploma pass-outs and their training will be complete by March 2018. In the winding engine operator training programme, 47 ITI/Diploma pass-outs were enrolled in February 2017 and their eight-month long training was completed in October 2017. Besides winding engine training, these candidates are also being given exposure in banksman and bellman operations.

The Facility and Courses
Hindustan Zinc extends high-tech facility for VTC training, simulation, and hands-on training for learning maintenance and operations required in underground mines. The candidates are able to operate real machines and are given industry exposure before they complete the course as per requirement. For jumbo drill operators, the company has set up a 3-D simulator, which is a virtual reality high-tech device used in Hindustan Zinc to train the operators in heavy machinery. The 3-D simulators are cost-effective, safe, and efficient methods for training all concepts and skills, from controls familiarisation to procedure compliance. Simulation training maximises productivity and increases workforce efficiency.
Hindustan Zinc also engages experts from its locations for taking expert faculty interface classes periodically, and also invites its business partners for engagement with candidates.
All academy centres run in a professional manner with inbuilt monthly monitoring system. Since the course is residential, the academy has a provision for free boarding and lodging facilities for all the selected candidates in all the training programmes. Equal emphasis is being given on classroom lectures and practical exposures to the students for enabling them to develop a better understanding of the module. The trainees are being groomed in various aspects like soft skills, team effort, discipline and overall personality development, which would further help them in securing sustainable livelihood in future.
Also, uniform for class-room and practical sessions are being provided by the academy to all candidates. They are also engaged in various indoor and outdoor sports – cricket, volleyball, badminton, chess, carom board, football etc.

Selection Criteria
It was assessed as an opportunity for the ITI pass-outs and diploma holders who are below the age of 30 years and who are qualified to operate equipment through training.
The candidates are being invited through advertisements in prominent newspapers as well as channels like FM Radio, WhatsApp and jingles are also engaged to create the buzz.
Application forms available on the mentioned website are to be filled online and then all applicants have to appear for written test (aptitude/respect for rules/IQ/English proficiency test etc). Successful participants are then called for documents check, medical fitness test, police verification for final selection/completion of the course and then
proceed for interview. Also, all existing trainees act as brand ambassadors and communicate through their channels.

Evaluation Process
The training assessment has inbuilt weekly and monthly tests, followed by quarterly third-party assessment. Candidates successfully fulfilling passing criteria each month
and in the third-party quarterly assessment are being awarded with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) certifications. The Government of India notified the
NSQF on December 27, 2013. This is a competence-based framework that organises all qualifications according to a series of knowledge, skills and aptitude.
Certification based on National Occupational Standards is facilitated by Skill Council for Mining Sector (SCMS) after third-party assessment to the enrolled candidates who successfully complete the programme. The National Occupational Standards specify the standard of performance an individual must achieve when carrying out a role at the workplace, together with the knowledge and understanding they need to meet that standard consistently.
The candidates are given stipend ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,000 and also performance top-up according to set criteria based on their attendance and assessment performance, which motivates high performers to give their best. Further, to boost the confidence, centre-wise toppers and overall toppers are also given cash reward on quarterly basis, ranging Rs 5,000-10,000 during the course.
Apart from certification and monetary rewards, SCMS conducts an internal auditor assessment as well through reputed third-party audit checks like KPMG that are monitored by a designated Project Steering Committee comprising senior executives.

Importance of Skill Development in Mining
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, over the last decade, the contribution of mining to India's GDP has fallen from 1.2 per cent to one per cent. If properly tapped, the mining industry could help propel growth for the country over the next decade. In fact, the performance of mining sector will be an important factor for India to achieve over seven per cent GDP growth. The mining industry has the potential to create six million additional jobs by 2025, accounting for 12 per cent of the new non-farm job gap.
India needs to create an additional 150 million non-farm jobs by 2025, to significantly reduce poverty, and empower people. It is also need to be highlighted that there are no relevant courses available in mining space for the candidates to pursue. Apart from this, the awareness level among youth and quality of education are other bottlenecks to meet the required skills.
Mining workforce is crucial for sustainable development of the sector, especially as there could be incremental demand of 1.5-2.5 times of the current workforce by 2025.
To bridge the imminent shortage of human resource in mining sector, there are two possibilities that can be considered: increase the number of seats in mining engineering in relevant institutes over the next 10-15 years. The second solution is to devise short-term mining-specific courses for ITIs/diploma holders in mining states by facilitating private sector participation in skill development for the mining sector.
Setting up perhaps India's first Mining Academy, Hindustan Zinc is developing an ecosystem and contributing in unlocking India's potential in mining. This is certainly going to enhance India's capability in training people in the mining space and putting India on the growth path.
Definitely, a long-term vision and consistent effort is going to make India self-reliant on such mining skills, which presently is outsourced mostly from abroad. This has helped local youth to gain meaningful employment, and enhance employability of eligible youth. To some extent, it has also ensured sustained availability of adequate trained operators for the growing mining sector in India that completely aligns with 'Make in India' concept and act as a catalyst in nation building.

Challenges
There is a need to drive initiatives for the overall development of the mining sector. The major challenge in training people in mining is availability of proper infrastructure. The equipment is costly and sophisticated. Hindustan Zinc has provided simulators and has made its underground mines accessible for training, which is substituting need for the required infrastructure. Also, to enhance the personalities and imbibe discipline in these candidates, the programme has been made fully residential. The attrition is almost nil at Mining Academy, which itself speaks about its credibility and standard with qualitative training.

Future Plans
Hindustan Zinc plans to spend Rs 30 crore in five years to train about 500 ITI pass-outs in jumbo drill and winding engine operations. The academy is determined to have the jumbo drill batches every six months, which is well in place. The academy also provides training on other trades like winding engine, banksman, bellman, etc; an exclusive jumbo operator programme for ex-servicemen that started in October 2017 and another batch of regular jumbo drill programmes to start in January 2018.
Currently, there are approximately 260 candidates on board at the academy across its three centres. To further strengthen the foundation of Mining Academy, Hindustan Zinc is exploring the possibilities to run it through a registered society. The academy is even planning to initiate online assessment for entrance examinations and has started a step-up programme for rural youth residing near Hindustan Zinc's business locations. This is a pre-coaching programme to encourage and prepare these youth for entrance examination to join the course.
Recently, the company organized placement drive for these students and 126 passing-out students got jobs with an average package of Rs. 25,000/- per month. Hindustan Zinc's business partners have come together to employ these trained youths and use them for their different operations. These candidates have been recruited by companies like SK Khetan, BGE Mining Pvt Ltd, SMSL, Aravali Construction Co, Teknomin Construction Limited, UTM Engineering Pvt Ltd, AAC Mining Executors India Pvt Limited, to name a few. Hindustan Zinc itself engages about 200 Jumbo Drill Operators and 45 Winding Engine Operators. As Hindustan Zinc mines are in expansion mode, the opportunities for employment are only likely to increase.

By Pavan Kaushik
Head - Corporate Communication, HZL

BEING SAFE - AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

"Being Safe" initiative has been quite effective in reducing stress, bringing-in a sense of responsibility not just at the workplace but also towards the families of the employees...

Hindustan Zinc conducted "Being Safe" workshop on 20th December 2017 at Zinc Smelter Debari to promote safety awareness amongst the employees. The workshop was attended by over 200 contract and regular employees of Hindustan Zinc.

The workshop was undertaken by Head – Corporate Communication of Hindustan Zinc who is also the founder of "Being Safe" – Pavan Kaushik who interacted with the employees informally and explained to them the significance of life. The 90 minutes workshop comprised discussion of live case studies, screening specially crafted safety films and showcasing real life photographs as to how people take their own safety for granted.
"Being Safe" is a scientifically designed interactive program to reduce the mind stress of the employees and bring in a sense of realization of "Being Safe" for their own-self and for their families.
The workshop concluded with the participants taking oath of following the path of "Being Safe" and to make it a habit while working in the plant and outside too.
"Being Safe" workshop has interacted with more than 2500 employees, their family members and school students of Rajasthan.

7-8% CONTRIBUTION OF MINING SECTOR IN GDP CAN CREATE 25 MILLION JOBS IN INDIA

Continuous decrease of mining sector share in India's GDP is holding GDP's growth. The mining sector aspires to contribute 7-8% to India's GDP and if this happens, India would realize a GDP of 9% in the coming years.
The development of natural resources dates back to about 50,000 years - in the Middle Paleolithic Chert mines of Nazlet Sabaha (or Safaha), a site on the western banks of the Nile River in Egypt. In India, Zinc mining dates back to over 3000 years in Rajasthan at Zawar.
India produces 87 minerals which include 4 fuel minerals, 10 metallic minerals, 47 non-metallic minerals, 3 atomic minerals and 23 minor minerals.
Mining was important in the ancient times and mining is important today and for the future survival of mankind. Development of natural resources is essential for sustaining economies as it gives birth to industrial development, ancillary industries, employment generation and prosperity. Employment generation is a key result but the end result is eradication of poverty.
But, in the last over a decade, the contribution of mining sector in GDP has been stagnant to nearly 1.2%, which is highly alarming. The Indian mining sector grew at a CAGR of 7.3% in the last decade compared to 22% in China in the same period. The mining sector in India employs a smaller percentage of India's population, just about 0.3% as compared to 3.8% in South Africa, 1.4% in Chile and 0.7% in China. It is also true that employment in the Indian mining sector has grown at a rate of 3% per annum over the last 10 years.
The McKinsey Global Institute report suggests that development of mining sector will be important if India has to achieve 7% plus GDP growth. The report further says that mining sector alone has the potential to create 6 million additional jobs by 2025. The sector can contribute an additional USD 125 billion to India's output and USD 47 billion to India's GDP by 2025.
About five years back, in the year 2012, mining sector accounted for about 3 million direct jobs and additional 8 million indirectly.
The mining sector contributed 3.4% of India's GDP in 1992-93, which declined to 3% in 1999-2000 and further to 2.3% in 2009-10.
To mention, every 1% increase in the growth rate of mining sector results in 1.2% to 1.4% increment in the growth rate of industrial production and correspondingly increase of 0.3% in the growth rate of India's GDP.
According to a report by FICCI, if India is looking to increase the share of mining sector to 5% of the GDP in the next 20 years, this sector would be required to grow at the rate of 10-12% annually.
The economies are simple. If India is unable to keep pace with the growing demand of infrastructure development, it would only be increasing the import bill. The import not only increases the cost but it also decreases the employment opportunities for the primary country. This becomes important since India currently is dealing with about 30% of unemployed youth.
Example of Angul is unique. Due to Mahanadi Coal Field, large down-stream industries have been set-up and that has resulted in increase in Angul's GDP per capita from INR 39,000/- to INR 101,000/-. Even the lowest income group in Angul has decreased from 67% in 2002 to mere 25% in 2012 and is expected to be less than 5% by 2025.
India is also far behind in expenditure towards exploration. It accounts for only 0.3% compared to over 19% by Canada, 12% by Australia, 7% by United States, and 4.5% by China. The Geological Survey of India needs to expand its focus on baseline data generation to encourage exploration activities for the development of mining sector. Exploration in India is mostly limited to a depth of 50 to 100 metre as compared to 300 metres in countries such as Australia.
If India's global ranking in production of minerals is an indication, it would not be wrong to say that economies of other countries are growing due to sustainable mining and have been successful in addressing unemployment and poverty issues. We being a country of huge mineral reserves and resources are lagging behind because we are still struggling to implement even the existing policies.
Self-declaration, simple policies and quick decisions are required to promote the mining sector. Policies of self-accountability with provision of stringent punishment will deter mining companies from doing anything wrong.
In India, even for obtaining mining lease, it takes minimum 1 years' time, which can be extended even to more than 5 years, as compared to just 30 days in Canada and 60 days in Australia.
If the government wants to be a regulator and not the owner, then it should give a substantial space for the industries to develop the mining sector.
The fact is that we are already years behind, since mine development itself takes about 3-5 years and further setting up smelters for processing these minerals takes another 2-3 years, even if we start today, we would be able to achieve some results only by 2022.
To `Make in India' we have to `Mine in India' and if we can do this, we would be able to address large unemployment issues.
The strategic plan document by Ministry of Mines has very impressively highlighted improvement in the functioning of GSI, IBM, R&D projects and Human Resource Development as few of the key areas.
The demand of minerals will grow 4-5 times over the next 12-15 years against a backdrop of globally decreasing resources. There would be a huge demand for the metals in view of the rapid urbanization and growth in the manufacturing sector.
The mining sector aspires to contribute 7-8% to India's GDP and if this happens, India would realize a GDP of 9% in the coming years. This is expected to create at least 25 million jobs, directly and indirectly.
But, above all, India will have an edge over other countries in terms of exports of these minerals, employment generation, eradication of poverty and taking a leadership position in the mining sector.

By Sunil Duggal
CEO, Hindustan Zinc

CHAIRMAN'S VISIT TO YPO, JAIPUR AND HZL, UDAIPUR

Chairman, Vedanta Group - Mr. Anil Agarwal was in Jaipur to address the YPO members (Young Presidents’ Organization) on 8th December 2017.

He also visited Udaipur and interacted with over 60 employees including senior management of Hindustan Zinc in a workshop on 9th December 2017.

It was a memorable day filled with energy, enthusiasm and inspired all the employees.

He also met the special children of Jeevan Tarang.

6th BATCH OF 120 ITI/DIPLOMA PASS-OUTS HAS JOINED HINDUSTAN ZINC MINING ACADEMY

ITI/Diploma pass-outs to get training in Jumbo Drill Operations under 18 months Residential Program …

The mining sector has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the country thus eradicating poverty at large. Indian natural resource industry has seen significant change in the last 10 years in terms of technology, employment generation, metal production and attracting best of Indian and global talent that includes engineers and management graduates.

Being a responsible metal and mining company, Hindustan Zinc has set-up ‘Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy’, in collaboration with Skill Council for Mining Sector (SCMS) and training partner Indian Institute of Skill Development Pvt. Ltd (IISD) to train about 500 ITI/diploma pass-outs in five years in Jumbo Drill Operations and Winding Engine Operations to enhance employment opportunities of eligible youth of Rajasthan.

Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy is now commencing its 6th Batch of ‘Jumbo Drill Operator Training Program’ with an inaugural function on 3^rd January, 2018 at Railmagra Centre, Rajsamand wherein 120 select ITI/Diploma pass-outs will be trained under this 18 months residential program. The Chief Guest of the event was Kastoor Meena – Site President, Rajpura Dariba Complex who encouraged candidates to work hard with focus, dedication and discipline in Academy to have a secure future.

Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy has three Centres running at Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Zawar near Udaipur with candidates from all over Rajasthan. All Academy centres run in a professional manner with inbuilt monthly monitoring systems. Since the course is residential, the academy has a provision for free boarding and lodging facilities for all the selected candidates in all training programs.

Earlier, Hindustan Zinc has commenced 5 batches of 18 month long Jumbo Drill Operator Training for ITI/Diploma pass-outs and in Winding Engine Operator Training Program where 47 ITI/Diploma pass-outs were enrolled and their eight months training got completed in October 2017. Besides Winding Engine Training, these candidates are also being given exposure in Banks-men and Bellman Operations.

Recently, the company organized placement drive for these students and 136 passing-out students got jobs with an average package of Rs. 25,000/- per month. Hindustan Zinc’s business partners have come together to employ these trained youths and use them for their different operations.

Pavan Kaushik – Head Corporate Communication, HZL said “with the setting up of India’s perhaps first Mining Academy, Hindustan Zinc is developing an ecosystem and contributing in unlocking India’s potential in mining. This is certainly going to enhance India’s capability in skilling of people in mining space and putting India on growth path”.

Also present were, Sanjay Sharma – AVP, HZL, Sajany Kathod – Unit Head, RDM, Sunil Dixit – Commercial Head, RDC, Abhay Gautam – Head CSR, RDC, Mr. Ravi Gupta – Training HR Head, Deepak Gakhreja - Location HR Head, Deepak Mishra from SCMS, Anshuk Talwar from M/s IISD and other dignitaries during the event.

BEING SAFE - AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

"Being Safe" initiative has been quite effective in reducing stress, bringing-in a sense of responsibility not just at the workplace but also towards the families of the employees...

Safety has always been a priority for Hindustan Zinc. The initiative “Being Safe” by Corporate Communication conveys on-the-job and off-the-job safety to the employees of the Company. By using live interactive tools, discussion of case studies and screening in-house made safety films, the initiative conveys the importance of being safe for themselves and their families. In this quarter, “Being Safe” conducted 2 workshops for employees at Chanderiya Smelting Complex and Zawar Mines and interacted with over 200 employees to bring about a sense of responsibility for safety among them.
Rajasthan ranks 5th in India in terms of Road Accidents. Road Safety has been taken for granted where many do not follow traffic rules and do not wear helmets or belts while driving. Risk factor has become a source of thrill for not just adults but for children too. “Being Safe” thus extended its focus on children where Corporate Communication conducted 3 workshops at Central Academy, Chittorgarh, Ryan International, Udaipur and DAV school, Zawar, interacting with over 300 students in the quarter. Children would not only craft the future of India but are also instrumental in bringing change in the system and mind-set. The Safety Interactive Workshop brought up enlightened young individuals who promised to follow the path of Being Safe.
“Being Safe” has till now interacted with more than 2500 employees and children and has been successful in inculcating the value of life and bringing employees closer to the management.

SAFETY TOWN HALL AT HZL

Hindustan Zinc organized its Safety Town Hall Meeting on 23rd May, 2017 where in 13 Units, including Head Office, joined the live interaction. Mr. Sunil Duggal – CEO, Hindustan Zinc, Mr. Naveen Singhal – Director Projects and Mr. Pankaj Kumar, COO addressed about 2000 employees including the contract workers and recently joined GETs. The Town-Hall was conducted at Udaipur from the auditorium emphasising on safety both on-site & off site. The Town Hall also saw interactive session wherein several employees from each locations asked questions and gave suggestions towards improving safety.

SAFETY TOWN HALL AT CHANDERIYA SMELTING COMPLEX - 25TH MAY, 2017

"I had a wonderful interaction with Hindustan Zinc employees at Chanderiya on being-safe for themselves and their families." Sunil Duggal, CEO HZL

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.

BEING SAFE - AN INITIATIVE BY HINDUSTAN ZINC

Being Safe, an initiative by Hindustan Zinc, is not just another project on safety, it is a project based on human psychology and his reactions to different situations. The objective of 'Being Safe' is to reach out to workmen and employees through informal interaction and making them understand the value of safety of their lives and also lives of their families.

With the thought : A workman or executive's mind is generally occupied almost 100% in work. As his mind becomes tuned to occupy information only about office, it rejects other inputs, even if they are about his safety or about safety of his family. His mind chooses to give importance to only office work. This leads to acute work pressure and stress.

And that's where the mistakes, near miss or fatality happens.

Being Safe has a vision to dilute this 100% mind occupancy towards office to about 50% and divide the remaining 50% into family, friends and other activities that ultimately find significance to the meaning of life and its importance. Once he understands life beyond office, he is bound to become more conscious to enjoy finer things in life

The workshop starts with conversation mode, screening of recently made safety film, motivational stories and listening to their thoughts about life and safety. A session on 'Knowing Yourself', in simple words, 'Who am I ?' is organized to make them understand the value of their presence in their families.

A 30-seconds intro-meditation session is also conducted. This session makes the employees recall their lives since their childhood, recalling the journey they have had so far Feedback (in general 3 questions) from the participants post workshop is collected in which they appreciated the film, workshop and the safety practises of Hindustan Zinc.

After covering 600 regular and contract employees at Zawar, Rampura Agucha Mines, Chanderiya Smelting Complex, Radpura Dariba Mines and Kayad mine in phase- I, Phase-II of 'Being Safe' started with the screening of 2nd Safety film at Zawar and SK mines. This time, the workshop was attended by many of the family members. Live events /case studies were discussed and few of the employees were of the view to show mines to their families.

So far, 'Being Safe' has covered about 810 out of 1200 employees targeted.

BEING SAFE - AN INITIATIVE BY HINDUSTAN ZINC

Being Safe, an initiative by Hindustan Zinc, is not just another project on safety, it is a project based on human psychology and his reactions to different situations. The objective of 'Being Safe' is to reach out to workmen and employees through informal interaction and making them understand the value of safety of their lives and also lives of their families.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING ONLY OPTION TO EMPLOY DROP-OUT RURAL YOUTHS

Vedanta’s Company Hindustan Zinc picks up 500 rural youths for Vocational Training, will get employed…

Organizing training programs in rural India has never been easy. The unemployed youth find it easy to spend time in effortless things and are not inclined to undertake vocational training for employment. Further, for girls, it is not easy to convince family, as they find difficult to send the daughters for daily attendance or if residential program, for letting her stay away from the family. But tiring efforts from the company, Hindustan Zinc and quality of training program has shown remarkable results in not only engaging with these unemployed youths but also giving them direction and focus in life.

10^th Pass Raju Kumawat is son of a poor farmer from Chokdi village of Rajsamand District. Being the eldest son, he had the responsibility of feeding the family of 6 people. Raju dropped out from the school and started earning for the livelihood. But due to lack of education or any training, he could not earn substantially. He came to know about professional training program being conducted by Hindustan Zinc at Debari in District Udaipur. He approached the company and was enrolled for training program in mining and drilling.

Under the 3 months training program, Raju not only gained technical proficiency but also saw change in his personality. He is more confident person today and could converse efficiently.

Instantly, through campus placements post training program, Raju was employed with a salary of about Rs. 4,000/- pm. With time Raju progressed and is now earning Rs 12000/- pm.

Anees from Zawar Mines, one of the two sons of small cashier at co-operative shop, is another successful example of the said training program. He was never interested in studies and soon dropped-out from the school. Engaged in doing nothing, Anees daily routine stood hanging around with his friends and sitting at a tea stall without any hope.

Anees situation was a matter of concern for his father who then decided to register his name for the training program when Hindustan Zinc team approached him.

Initially, at the centre, he was the most mischievous student but soon started taking interest due to interactive training methodology. He showed keen interest in learning computers. Anees was also benefited by the soft skills and personality development sessions. In short duration of 3 months, he not only learnt MS Office but also the design softwares like Photoshop, CorelDraw and Tally. Anees is today working as a Marketing Executive in Udaipur and earning Rs. 10,000 pm.

NEW HOPE FOR THE DROP-OUT RURAL YOUTHS IN RAJASTHAN

Hindustan Zinc providing Vocational Training to 500 rural youths…

Instantly, through campus placements post training program, Raju was employed with a salary of about Rs. 4,000/- pm. With time Raju progressed and is now earning Rs 12000/- pm.

There are 500 youths of rural Rajasthan from Udaipur, Bhilwara, Ajmer and Chittorgarh who are getting vocational/job oriented training from Hindustan Zinc run Vocational Training Program, in partnership with the NGO Sankalp for school drop-outs and unemployed rural youth. Most of these youths could not finish their formal education due to various reasons. The duration of each course is of 90 days.

The company will be spending Rs. 80 lakhs in one year to train these youths.

While keeping in mind the background of the students who are mostly from rural areas, the training material in various fields like mining, welding, drilling, electrician, cutting, helpers, tailoring, embroidery, hospitality, to name a few, has been designed in such a way that it can be easily grasped by these students.

Equal emphasis has been given on class room lectures and practical exposures to the students for enabling them to develop a better understanding of the module. Since the entire course is residential, it grooms the beneficiaries in various aspects like - team effort, discipline and overall personality development, which would further help in securing sustainable livelihood in future.

For the benefit of these youths, Hindustan Zinc has also made a provision for free boarding and lodging facilities for the trainees. The cost to be incurred by company per trainee is estimated to be Rs. 15,700/-.

The training is market driven and various fields of training have been decided on the basis of market demand of skilled people and are expected to give ample opportunities to these candidates. The program also has provision to add new training activities as per changing market scenario.

Anees situation was a matter of concern for his father who then decided to register his name for the training program when Hindustan Zinc team approached him.

Similarly, Rahul from a farmer’s family in Chittorgarh is an 8^th pass student. Relying merely on Agriculture was not fulfilling the day to day demands of his family. But when he came to know about the vocational training program being conducted by Hindustan Zinc, he was quick to register himself for the training program. After getting knowledge about training modules, he chose welding sector. After 3 months of training, Rahul is now employed and is earning Rs 15,000 pm.

With the boys, even the girls are getting benefited from the program. One such girl is Kusum Rathore, a 10^th pass student from Udaipur. She is from a middle class family and her father working in Indian Railways is the only earning member in the family. When she came to know about the training program, she too decided to enroll for the program. But Kusum found it difficult to convince her parents and other family members. A team from Hindustan Zinc than approached her parents and convinced them for the training program. Kusum had keen interest in computers and thus she chose computers as her training area.

Kusum is also employed and earning a salary of about Rs.5000/- pm. She has become a big support to the family and is also able to continue her studies.