Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, is supporting young archers from Kalahandi district through its flagship Sports Training Initiative in Lanjigarh. Recently, 21 of these athletes (12 male and 9 female) qualified for the upcoming 26th Odisha State Open Archery Meet 2025.
The qualifiers emerged from district-level trials held at SSD School, Lanjigarh, which the Kalahandi Athletic Association organised with the support of Vedanta. A total of 40 archers competed in various categories, including Indian Round, Compound, and Recurve.
Launched in 2018, Vedanta Lanjigarh’s Sports Initiative has been nurturing young talent from Kalahandi by providing access to professional training, national-level coaches, modern equipment, logistical support, and nutritional diets. Currently, 40 students are training in archery and another 40 in athletics, with over 300 youth trained so far under the program. The initiative has already delivered impressive results, with trainees winning 37 medals at state-level events in FY 2024-2025, securing over 20 spots in national competitions, and clinching one national medal at the second Jan Jatiya Khel Mahotsav 2024.
Speaking about this achievement, Mr. Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, CEO of Vedanta Alumina Business, stated, “This achievement is a proud moment not only for the young archers but for the entire community of Kalahandi. It demonstrates how focused training and the right support can unlock potential. Our goal is to nurture grassroots sporting talent in the region and provide them with a strong platform to excel at higher levels. We look forward to witnessing many more success stories emerging from our sports program.”
Through initiatives like this, Vedanta Aluminium is committed to nurturing grassroots sporting talent and empowering rural youth across Odisha. The company has trained over 500 young people in archery, hockey, karate, and football. Additionally, its broader social impact programs have positively affected the lives of 450,000 people across 500 villages in areas such as livelihood, education, health, infrastructure, grassroots sports, and culture. As part of its flagship Nand Ghar project, Vedanta has also established 531 modernized anganwadis in Odisha, promoting women and child development in the state.
