BALCO’s Vedanta Skill School becomes Chhattisgarh’s first 5-star youth training facility

Balconagar, January 11, 2023: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic
Aluminium producer, crosses another milestone in its community developmental interventions
with its Vedanta Skill School being awarded a 5-star rating under the Skill Management &
Accreditation of Training Centers (SMART) program by the National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC). This makes it the only skill center in Chhattisgarh with a 5-star rating and
multiple accreditations from the NSDC and Sector Skill Council (SSC).

The Vedanta Skill School is a one-of-its-kind institute that provides technical education and
vocational training to local youth to make them employable and financially self-reliant. The
institute imparts free residential training in six trades, including Sewing Machine Operator,
Electrician, Welding, Hospitality, Fitter-Leveling Alignment & Balancing & Solar PV Technician,
along with further helping the trainees with placements in companies of repute. The training
program, ranging in duration from 45 to 65 days, is designed as per the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) guidelines. Since commencing in 2010, more than 10,000
students have graduated from the Vedanta Skill School till now and placed in reputed
organizations across the country. They have gone on to bring additional household income and
foster development of their communities at large.

Speaking about the certification, Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO and Director, BALCO, said,
“Empowered youth play a pivotal role in accelerating the development of a nation. It has been
our earnest endeavour to make the local youth self-reliant by imparting them with employable
skills and knowledge through the Vedanta Skill Schools. Our Skill Schools have helped bring
about a positive transformation in the region, by enabling the youth to avail various opportunities
for their growth and progress. Our youth interventions also include unique programs such as
Project Connect, wherein our employees volunteer to help school students perform better in
STEM subjects through supplemental coaching.”

Expressing her gratitude, Pratibha, a student of the Vedanta Skill School who is now
employed in a leading textile company, says, “Enrolling in the Vedanta Skill School has
been one of the best decisions of my life. I am deeply thankful to BALCO and the school for
making me financially independent which is helping me take care of my family. The institute has
been instrumental in transforming my life and making me self-reliant.”

Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is India’s iconic aluminium producer. It is owned
49% by the Government of India and 51% by Vedanta Limited. BALCO is part of Vedanta’s
Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest manufacturer of
aluminium. BALCO operates a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba,
Chhattisgarh. It is also a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications
in core industries. With its world-class smelter and power plants, the company fulfills its mission
of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener
tomorrow.