Vedanta Aluminium has announced plans to double the size of its first all-women locomotive team at its Jharsuguda smelter by the end of 2025. The seven-member team will expand with six additional women, and a second all-women locomotive crew is set to be created to meet the growing operational and logistical demands of one of the world’s largest aluminium plants.
The team operates and maintains the dedicated locomotive engine responsible for transporting raw materials across Vedanta’s 3,000-acre Jharsuguda smelter, a facility producing 1.8 MTPA of aluminium and powered by plants with a cumulative 3,615 MW capacity.
The initiative builds on Vedanta Aluminium’s broader gender diversity agenda, including projects such as Shree Shakti for night-shift roles, India’s first all-women-managed smelter potline at Jharsuguda, and a gender-agnostic hiring policy aiming for 30 per cent female workforce representation by 2030.
Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said: “Our first all-women locomotive team proved that skill, precision, and leadership know no gender. With this expansion, we are doubling down on our commitment to inclusion, creating opportunities where women drive critical operational roles in Indian industry. This is about shaping the culture of tomorrow’s industrial workplaces.”
Coinciding with the announcement, Vedanta Aluminium launched a digital film, “On the Right Track,” celebrating the pioneering women locomotive operators. The film captures their determination, teamwork, and pride as they navigate the in-plant railway network, highlighting how inclusion fuels operational excellence and innovation. One team member reflects, “When I took the driver’s seat for the first time, I realised I wasn’t just driving a locomotive, I was driving change.”
