Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, is fostering a culture of health, nutrition and sustainability through its community development initiative, Project Sampark. As part of the programme, the company has empowered over 1,000 women from the villages of Banjari, Kudaloi, and Piplimal to embrace kitchen gardening and adopt organic home-grown food practices.
Each participant received a kitchen garden kit containing 10 varieties of vegetable seeds along with organic manure. In total, more than 10,000 seed packets were distributed to women and Anganwadi workers. To ensure effective implementation, interactive sessions were conducted to demonstrate simple techniques for planting, composting, and garden maintenance. These sessions encouraged participants to transform their backyards into green spaces and improve their families’ nutritional intake.
Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium, said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, we believe that sustainable development begins with empowering communities. Through Project Sampark, we are enabling women in rural Odisha to take charge of their family’s nutrition and well-being by cultivating kitchen gardens. It’s a reflection of our commitment to building resilient communities around our operations.”
Speaking about the initiative, Sarojini Mahanad, Community Member, Banjari Village, attributed, “These sessions have taught us easy ways to grow our own vegetables at home. I now feel confident about providing fresh and healthy food for my family. We appreciate Vedanta for bringing such initiatives to our community.”
Vedanta Aluminium remains committed to driving transformation in Odisha through social impact initiatives spanning education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, rural infrastructure, and grassroots sports and culture. Collaborating closely with local authorities and community stakeholders, the company ensures its interventions lead to tangible socio-economic progress in its areas of operation.
