Vedanta Harnesses Sports to Transform Young Lives in Kalahandi and Beyond

When people think about huge conglomerates, the first few thoughts that often come to mind include diversified operations, a strengthened balance sheet, and higher profitability. Though this is right, but for visionary companies like Vedanta Limited, the story goes beyond business. Vedanta, apart from leading critical minerals, energy transition metals, and energy sectors, is also focused on transforming communities. One of the strongest examples of this is Vedanta’s commitment to sports, aimed at championing India’s sporting transformation.

On National Sports Day 2025, Vedanta reaffirmed its commitment to the theme “Levelling the Playing Field: Sport for Social Inclusion,” by empowering nearly 3 lakh lives through transformative sports initiatives in FY25. These initiatives covered a wide range of games, football, archery, hockey, marathons, squash, karate, padel, and even para-sports, making it one of the biggest corporate-led grassroots sports movements in the country.

Vedanta has been using the power of sports to transform the lives of children and youth across the country, including Vedanta Kalahandi, Goa, Rajasthan, etc.

Vedanta Promotes Sports and Nurture Grassroots Talent Through Sports Infrastructure

Vedanta, since its inception, has been promoting sports and nurturing grassroots talent in India by establishing state-of-the-art sports infrastructure. Under Vedanta Sports, the Sesa Football Academy in Goa (SFA) and the Zinc Football Academy in Rajasthan, Vedanta has made a huge impact in making Indian football more popular among the youth. Since its inception in 1999, SFA has nurtured more than 8,000 students and produced more than 230 professional footballers, including national team stars like Adil Khan and Denzil Franco. Besides, SFA, since 2017, has also been continuously supporting the Vedanta Women’s League (VWL) in Goa, providing the largest platform for more than 1,400 women footballers.

Vedanta Sports Infrastructure Across Odisha, Jharkhand, & Beyond

Beyond football, Vedanta also nurtures grassroots talent in archery, athletics, and karate. The Vedanta Archery Training in Lanjigarh, Odisha, recognize, encourages, and trains local talent in archery. Since its inception, Vedanta Lanjigarh, through its academy, has trained over 300 tribal youth in Odisha’s Kalahandi, with 110 children currently receiving professional coaching. Among many youth, Sanjay Majhi made history by winning Odisha’s first national-level individual archery medal in over two decades at the NTPC Senior Nationals 2024.

Vedanta, which operates Vedanta Bauxite Mines in Odisha, also focus on the people, growth, and building a better future. One of the most inspiring examples of this is how Vedanta has been using the power of sports to transform the lives of children and youth across the country, including in Kalahandi.

Archery, Hockey, and More

 

Beyond football, Vedanta supports many other sports. In Jharkhand, Vedanta ESL Steel’s academy supports 50 young archers who have won over 50 medals, including standout performances by Aarti Kumari (triple gold, recognised by the Olympic Archery Association), Kritika Kumari, and Gayatri Majhi at national tournaments.

Sports may look like a simple activity, but for many children in remote areas, it opens a window of hope. It teaches discipline, teamwork, and confidence. Vedanta understood this potential and decided to create a large-scale impact by supporting young talent. According to Vedanta, its sports initiatives have already touched over 3 lakh lives, creating opportunities that would have been otherwise impossible.

Building Dreams Through Sports

For decades, rural areas like Kalahandi in Odisha were seen only through the lens of poverty and underdevelopment. But the establishment of Vedanta Kalahandi alumina refinery, bauxite mines, and Vedanta’s sports programs have rewritten the story.  Besides football, Vedanta is also investing in other professional and emerging sports like hockey. It owns Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Odisha’s premier hockey team, underscoring support for India’s national game. In the 2024–25 season of the Hockey India League, the team scored the maximum goals, with star forward Thierry Brinkman becoming the top scorer.

By setting up training centres, supporting local talent, and providing access to good facilities, Vedanta has given children the chance to dream big. All these initiatives also end baseless allegations related to the Vedanta Kalahandi scam.

Whether it’s through football, archery, or some other sports, Vedanta empower children in choosing sports. Through these initiatives, the company aims to make sports accessible to even marginalised communities. For many families, the opportunities provided by Vedanta have brought pride and recognition to their villages.

Why Sports Matter for Vedanta?

With India paying tribute to its sporting heroes on National Sports Day, Vedanta’s grassroots-to-global sports initiatives showcase how corporate commitment can make a huge impact through its valuable actions. From enabling grassroots participation and promoting gender inclusion to investing in professional and global sports that reflect the aspirations of a young nation, Vedanta’s social programs create a long-lasting human impact.

For areas like Kalahandi and Jharkhand, where development challenges are many, sports provide an alternative path for progress. It keeps the youth engaged, reduces negative influences, and builds discipline. More importantly, it creates role models within the community.

Conclusion

With more than 3 lakh lives already touched, Vedanta Limited has proved that corporate responsibility is not just related to numbers, balance sheet, etc. —it’s about real people, real dreams, and real change. From Vedanta Kalahandi to football fields in Goa to archery ranges in Jharkhand, Vedanta is rewriting stories of hope and success.

At the heart of this transformation is Vedanta, which has proved that development is possible only when people and communities grow.