The renowned public figure and former Lt. Governor of Puducherry addressed over 1000 participants at a town hall meeting, and spent time with women entrepreneurs and professionals
Jharsuguda, Odisha, March 21, 2026: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, welcomed Dr. Kiran Bedi to its mega aluminium plant at Jharsuguda today. A renowned champion of public reform and social justice, Dr. Bedi addressed over 1000 participants in a special town hall meeting organized in continuation of the company’s Women’s Day 2026 celebrations. She shared several insights from her decades of frontline public leadership, focusing on how supporting inclusivity and equity efforts could help unlock new avenues for transformation.
Dr Kiran Bedi has several achievements to her credit, including the distinction of serving as India’s first woman IPS officer, first woman appointed as UN Civilian Police Adviser, and is a former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, bestowed in recognition of her remarkable efforts in establishing better policing practices and undertaking substantial prison reforms in India. Together, these achievements have earned her worldwide acclaim.
She addressed an interactive town hall meeting at Vedanta’s Jharsuguda premises, highlighting the importance of having a clear purpose in life, of showing up with integrity every single day, and of recognizing that the choices one makes at work ripple far beyond our immediate environment. Over 1000 employees, business partners, families, and community members joined the engaging town hall meeting, both in-person and virtually.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Kiran Bedi said, “Vedanta Limited is a diamond of this country, and the nation needs more institutions that use resources responsibly and drive growth with purpose. Stay committed to learning, lead with empathy, and connect with people by listening and understanding before correcting. A stronger workforce needs more women, who bring a steady mindset, empathy, and the drive to deliver. Do not work for awards. Work with purpose, take ownership, and build a sense of belonging. Recognition will follow meaningful work.”
Adding her views, Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Limited and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Limited, said, “Today, women make up over 23% of our team at Vedanta. We are also proud to be the first company in India to operate an all-women potline. These milestones reflect our commitment to inclusion and our intent to create meaningful change across the industry. We don’t wait for change; we make it a part of how we operate. Our focus is to create equal opportunities for all, ensuring merit leads every decision we undertake at Vedanta.”
Highlighting the impact of Dr Bedi’s visit, Mr. C Chandru, CEO, Vedanta Jharsuguda, said, “As the first aluminium plant in India to operate an all-women potline, and the first in Odisha to enable women to work night shifts, we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all our employees. I am grateful to Dr. Bedi, whose career is symbolic of leadership backed by action, for energizing our efforts to ensure inclusive operations at every step of this journey.”
Dr. Bedi’s visit included an interaction with the members of Project Subhalaxmi, Western Odisha’s largest Self-Help Group cooperative and a community development project by Vedanta. She also presented offer letters to several specially-abled professionals who will be joining Vedanta’s plant operations in different functions. In addition, she visited Vedanta Jharsuguda’s aluminium manufacturing facilities, where she met several women professionals, including members of India’s first all-women potline, Odisha’s first all-women power operations and Vedanta’s all-women locomotive team.
