TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMING SUSTAINABILITY REPORT FY 2023 COMMUNITIES THE PLANET THE WORKPLACE Local Employment Local Procurement The approach that we take in engaging with the Along with our focus on employment, we Project Utthan boosts employment opportunities in Kalahandi and Rayagada local communities that are proximate to our actively engage with local vendors and mines and plants is founded on a few key levers. suppliers, wherever possible. By sourcing education and employment, fostering goods and services locally, we contribute growth and development in these regions. Creating employment opportunities: This is the to the growth and sustainability of local foremost lever through which we ensure that the businesses, and stimulate economic benefits of our business extends to the people activity within the region. As a part of our Local employment living in the vicinity. There are various ways in targeted CSR initiatives, we endeavour to Project Utthan is committed to creating which employment opportunities are created. In generate direct employment through our jobs for educated youth in Kalahandi and created for remote areas, we make sure that eligible people operations and to encourage indirect Rayagada, with a focus on graduates. from the local population get recruited. We also employment. By training local populations Recently, they recruited 73 young 4,000 conduct vocational and skill development in skills and trades where business individuals from these districts for roles trainings for local youth and housewives as part opportunities exist and where they can at an alumina refinery, 43 from Kalahandi, individuals of our income generation activities. Further, the commercially transact with the company, and 30 from Rayagada. In a ceremony at CSR programmes offered under our CSR policy we help to build a positive ecosystem of Bhawanipatna Town Hall, Ms. P Anwesha take a bottoms-up community engagement employment generation and sourcing and Reddy, the District Collector, handed out approach and our employment generation procurement that works beneficially for appointment letters to the Kalahandi activities are customized to the needs of the local both us and our dependent communities. recruits, marking the beginning of their populations, with project design and delivery In this way, we foster long-term economic careers and underlining their dedication done in consultation with the beneficiaries. In progress in the regions where we operate. to local youth employment. The program certain cases, even senior management includes additional training to nurture positions maybe filled by individuals from nearby their skills and promote growth into communities, given our commitment of providing leadership roles. commensurate employment. Our operations in other geographies contribute to job creation and Since its inception, Vedanta Lanjigarh growth of the local economy by recruiting a has employed over 270 graduate significant percentage of our workforce from the country where our operations are based. students from Kalahandi and Rayagada INR 351.16 in both technical and non-technical billion spent on positions. Many have risen to managerial roles, enriching the company's pool of local procurement capable local employees. Over the years, approximately 4,000 individuals from these districts have found employment in technical roles, significantly boosting rural incomes and 21% developing the talents of local youth Share of local people in who might not have had such opportunities otherwise. Project Utthan Project Uthhan - NSW at Lanjigarh - employment senior management positions Graduate youths from Kalahandi and continues to bridge the gap between Rayagada trained under Project Uthhan at the operating site level 47