National Security Day: Vedanta Aluminium recruits transgender security professionals for its largest aluminium smelter

Bhubaneswar: On National Security Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, recruited seven transgender professionals for the security function of its plant at Jharsuguda in Odisha, which is one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters.

The seven employees– AarunitaPayasingh, Aarohi Sharma, Sandhya Yadav, Siddhi Nage, Khushi Dhruv, Pavitra and Roma Dhruw, will join the company’s formidable security team and will be responsible for ensuring strict round-the-clock security of the assets and workforce. This is the second hiring of LGBTQIA+ professionals at Vedanta Aluminium, with the previous recruits working at the company’s Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary, BALCO, in security and material handling functions. Last year, the company embarked upon the mission to expand its recruitment ambit to tap into the LQBTQIA+ talent pool, who are yet to find acceptance in the mainstream and corporate world.

With 14 transgender employees, Vedanta Aluminium is now amongst the handful of manufacturing companies in India and the world to have LGBTQIA+ employees in core operations. Globally, the gender diversity ratio in manufacturing and heavy engineering industries has traditionally been low, and this deficit is even more acute in metals and mining. To build a diverse workforce, Vedanta Aluminium has been working extensively towards attracting high-potential women and LGBTQIA+ professionals to join its ranks.

Welcoming the new trans colleagues, Sunil Gupta, CEO, Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, said, At Vedanta Aluminium’s Jharsuguda operations, we strive to foster a work culture that celebrates diversity, equity & inclusion. We have an intersectional approach to diversity, one that recognizes merit and celebrates the diversity of experiences and identities within the broader endeavours towardscreating equitable workplaces. We have plans to enhance the diversity of our employee base further so we can harness the full potential of our human capital for adding value to the business, our stakeholders and the country at large.”

Arohi Sharma,one of the newly recruited transgender employees, said, “Vedanta Jharsuguda has taken utmost care towards ensuring a comfortable induction into the organization for me and my colleagues. We have been provided with robustfunctional and safety trainings, sessions on diversity and equal opportunity, and technical trainings for our roles & responsibilities as part of the company’s security force. Our colleagues are friendly and respectful and have made us feel welcomed. I am thankful to Vedanta for this life-changing opportunity.”

Another employee, Roma Dhruv, adds, “From struggling to survive in society to being given the empowering responsibility to handle the security of one of the world’s largest aluminium plants, I am proud to have come this far. This is a milestone moment in our lives, and the transgender community. I thank Vedanta Aluminium for giving us the opportunity to be part of the company’s growth journey.”