‘Project Unnati’ elevates Christmas and New Year celebrations with their delectable offerings
Team News Riveting
Balconagar, December 28
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s leading aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, launched an exclusive range of homemade cakes this festive season under its flagship women empowerment initiative, Project Unnati.
With a sale of over 300 cakes this festive season, the diverse range of cakes catered the customer demands while fulfilling the festive requirements, offering an urban taste in Korba, this Christmas festival.
The assortment offering a wide range of flavours, including plum cake, fruit cake, chocolate cupcakes, and slice cakes, are available on orders in multiple portions to cater to diverse tastes and preferences while promoting women’s entrepreneurship. Project Unnati focuses on empowering and mobilising women into self-help groups (SHGs) and honing their capacities and skills for entrepreneurship and building sustainable livelihoods.
So far, 500+ SHGs with more than 5,800 women have been greatly benefitted from the various training modules of the project. The Chhattisa Micro Enterprise under Project Unnati is offering wide range of eatables like ethnic snacks of Chhattisgarh, handcrafted chocolate, outdoor catering service, cookies, achar, papad, badi, papchi, khaja, thethri and tiffin services along with cakes. The project is currently being implemented in collaboration with GPR Strategies & Solutions, a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to community and social services.
Mr. Rajesh Kumar, CEO and Director of BALCO, emphasising on the importance of entrepreneurship, stated, “At BALCO, entrepreneurship is not just a value but a driving force behind innovation and growth. Project Unnati reflects this ethos, serving as a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable livelihoods within our communities. By equipping women with essential skills, tools, and resources, we are not only empowering individuals but also building a foundation for self-reliance and long-term societal progress.”
A customer, Debasish Jena, shared his experience, saying, “The cakes baked by the women of Project Unnati were impressive in both taste and quality. The variety offered was perfect for the occasion. I chose the plum cake, which was well-made and flavourful. The efficient order and delivery process along with a wide range of choices made the experience more convenient.”
Additionally, these variety of cakes brought smiles to 800 children during the Christmas celebration at Nand Ghars, the modern Anganwadi centres under the Anil Agarwal Foundation’s flagship Women & Child development project which provides essential services like early childhood education, nutrition, healthcare, and skill development for women.
Furthermore, celebration spanned across the BALCO township with Christmas carnival bringing together over 400 children. The carnival featured a variety of surprises, activities, and games, along with enchanting experiences from a magician. Additionally, the celebration in the plant further engaged employees and business partners, reinforcing BALCO’s commitment inclusivity.
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is India’s iconic aluminium producer. It is owned 51% by Vedanta Limited and 49% by the Government of India. BALCO 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., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 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.
