BALCO’s Healthcare Initiatives Transform Maternal & Child Health in the Communities
10th April 2025

Balconagar, 10th April 2025: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a part of Vedanta Aluminium, is transforming healthcare by empowering 10,000+ mothers under Project Arogya, its health initiative. Emphasizing on the role of a healthy diet during a child’s formative years, BALCO is bridging the nutrition gaps in the remote areas of Chhattisgarh.
As a part of Project Arogya, BALCO offers comprehensive health screenings, with a structured approach categorizing children based on their nutritional status. Malnourished children are identified followed by 12-day Positive Deviance/Hearth (PDH) sessions of their mothers to enhance their child’s nutrition and overall well-being. PDH is a behavior change program to rehabilitate underweight or malnourished children. These sessions also teach recipes using Take Home Ration (THR), a government provided health supplement. Furthermore, BALCO also partners with the District Health Department during a month-long initiative ensuring mother and childcare, ‘Poshan Maah’ led by the Government of India, to help pregnant and lactating mothers with nutritional support. Arogya also emphasizes on maternal and child health through ‘Anemia Reduction Camps’ to combat anemia among pregnant and lactating mothers. Through various training courses and health camps, the company is nurturing sustainable health practices in rural communities.
Mr. Rajesh Kumar, CEO & Director, BALCO says, “At BALCO, we believe that good health is the foundation of strong communities. Healthy mothers and children form the backbone of a nation’s growth, and our initiatives are designed to bridge critical gaps in healthcare by improving access and raising awareness. Through multiple such efforts, we strive to build a strong, inclusive medical ecosystem that empowers individuals and enhances the well-being and resilience of the communities around us.”
Neha Sahu a resident of Khatiyapara, a village near Korba shares, “As a mother I wasn’t prepared for nourishing my younger one as every child’s nutritional requirements are different. When my little girl was diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition, I started actively participating in PD Hearth sessions, organized by BALCO which was gamechanger for my child’s health. The knowledge that I gained through these sessions, I now share with everyone I meet.”
BALCO also has a digital series guiding new mothers, with essential tips to overcome malnutrition. Additionally, the organization also focuses on child healthcare through Nand Ghars leading initiatives on anemia prevention and hygiene awareness.
BALCO has multiple healthcare initiatives under its community welfare interventions, impacting over 1.5 lakh people through preventive and curative health care services. Through Rural Health Posts and Mega Health Camps BALCO is transforming lives of the communities in its vicinities. Under Project Nayi Kiran, many schools have adopted menstrual health-friendly practices, creating safe spaces for adolescent girls. BALCO has also partnered with the State AIDS Control Society as the first corporate to establish an Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC). Alongside this, Mobile Health Vans (MHVs) continue to deliver medical care to the doorsteps across 70 nearby communities, extending services to 22,500+ people. BALCO Medical Centre (BMC) is a tertiary Oncology facility in Naya Raipur with an OPD footfall of over 83,000, treating more than 13,000 patients annually.
In Korba, BALCO Hospital is a 120-bed multi-specialty healthcare facility, serving more than 1.8 lakh people annually. With a team of 80+ medical professionals and over 110 support staff the hospital is provides comprehensive medical care. Additionally, free health screening camps and vaccination drives under government initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and Mediclaim, are facilitated ensuring that medical facilities remain accessible to all.
BALCO’s approach towards healthcare can be seen both in the community and in the plant. Prioritizing the well-being of employees and business partners, regular vaccination drives, routine health check-ups, and fitness sessions are conducted. Celebrating the World Health Day, a special ‘Swasthya Chaupal’ brought over 500 employees and business partners for health screenings, yoga modules, balanced diets, and expert advice on nutrition and wellness. BALCO through its health initiatives and social responsibility interventions is empowering lives of the BALCO family and the extended communities.
About BALCO:
Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, operating a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium, i.e., 2.42 million tonnes in FY25. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow. For more information, please log on to www.balcoindia.com
For more information, please contact:
Disclaimer:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil
& Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver,
Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and
Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building.
Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong
focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is
focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the
flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on
eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with
skill development. Vedanta and its group companies have been featured in Dow Jones
Sustainability Index 2020, and were conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020,
CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National
Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI
National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award
2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place
to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by the
Government of Rajasthan. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the
National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com