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Udaipur | Vedanta Limited, India’s leading natural resources and technology conglomerate, has celebrated a landmark achievement by recognizing the country’s largest all-women underground mining team. This celebration, held ahead of International Women’s Daymarks a significant milestone in gender inclusion within the traditionally male-dominated mining sector.

India’s First and Largest Women Underground Mining Team

Vedanta’s subsidiary, Hindustan Zinc, made history in 2019 by inducting women into underground mining roles—an unprecedented move in Indian industry. Today, over 550 women are engaged in core mining operations across Vedanta’s businesses. The company boasts a gender diversity ratio of 22%with over 3,000 women in its workforce, and is committed to increasing this to 30% by FY2030.

Pioneering Inclusion in the Extractive Industry

The mining and metals sector has historically offered limited opportunities to women, particularly in operational roles. Vedanta has challenged this status quo through bold initiatives: from deploying India’s first female underground minersto forming three fully women-led underground mine rescue teams at Hindustan Zinc—the highest number in the country.

Women at Vedanta also lead several key production areas. These include a fully women-operated aluminium potlineand a female-led locomotive operations unitsetting benchmarks for gender parity in heavy industry.

Technology and Policy Enable Empowerment

Vedanta’s adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies such as robotics, automation, drone surveillance, and tele-remote underground mining has significantly reduced manual labor risks, enabling safer, more accessible working environments for women.

The company also runs digital mining operationsleveraging real-time analytics and AI for enhanced productivity and safety, further encouraging skilled female professionals to pursue mining careers.

Voices from the Ground

Yogeshwari raneIndia’s first woman to clear the first-class certification in both underground and opencast mining, now works at Vedanta’s iron ore mine in Goa. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “Coming from a mining belt, I always wanted to work in this field. Vedanta gave me the opportunity to go beyond textbooks and experience real-world mining operations.”

Sandhya RaskatlaIndia’s first female underground mine manager from the Zawar Group of Mines in Rajasthan, shared, “Mining always fascinated me. At Vedanta, I’ve found not only a career but a community where men and women grow and succeed together in a supportive environment.”

Pro-Women Policies and Inclusive Infrastructure

Vedanta backs its inclusion agenda with thoughtful policies such as:

• Spousal employment options
• One-year childcare leave
• ‘No Questions Asked’ mental wellness leave

In addition, employees benefit from state-of-the-art residential townships near plants, with amenities like schools, hospitals, day-care centers, places of worship, and recreational facilities including swimming pools, golf courses, and movie theaters.

A Global Leader with a Gender-Forward Vision

Vedanta operates a diversified portfolio of world-class assets across zinc, silver, aluminium, oil & gas, and power. It is the largest integrated zinc producer globally, the third-largest silver producerand among the top aluminium producers worldwide. The company is also India’s only private oil & gas producer and one of the largest private power generators.

Looking ahead, Vedanta is expanding into critical minerals, rare earthsand renewable energyfurther strengthening its role in India’s energy transition and global sustainability efforts.

A Historic Shift from Prohibition to Progress

Mining was once off-limits to women under the Indian Mines Act of 1923 and fully banned in 1937 during British rule. Though lifted briefly between 1943–46, it took until 2019when a group of mining engineering students filed a petition, for the government to officially lift the ban. Vedanta, through Hindustan Zinc, became the first company in India to employ female mining engineers underground—breaking an 80-year-old barrier.

A Vision for Inclusive Growth

Priya agarwal HebbarNon-Executive Director, Vedanta Ltd. and Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc, said,

Bhupendra singh chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur kiranhis insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.