Focus on education, healthcare, agriculture, women’s empowerment and skill development helps communities build self-reliance across 123 villages
TFP Bureau, Korba, September 11, 2026: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) has reached 1.80 lakh people across 123 villages through its community development initiatives during the financial year 2026, with a focus on education, healthcare, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, community infrastructure and sports.
The company’s community development approach seeks to create long-term and sustainable change by working closely with local communities. From farmers adopting modern agricultural practices and cultivating multiple crops to women running self-help groups and enterprises, and young people securing employment after skill training, BALCO’s initiatives have sought to translate development programmes into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Development across the human life cycle
BALCO has adopted a human life-cycle approach to community development, addressing needs ranging from early childhood care and education to skill development, employment, economic self-reliance and community welfare.
Under the initiative, 111 Nand Ghars — modernised and child-friendly Anganwadi centres — benefited children and mothers during FY2026. More than 7,226 students received support through digital classrooms, while over 400 students participated in academic and creative activities. More than 800 Anganwadi workers and helpers were also trained, while improvement in health and nutrition was recorded among 75 per cent of identified malnourished children.
In government schools, BALCO supported digital classrooms, remedial education and co-curricular activities. Under the BALCO Connect coaching programme, centres in Korba and Kawardha supported young people preparing for competitive examinations. During FY2026, 84 candidates were selected for government jobs.
Agriculture gets a technology-driven boost
Through the Mor Jal Mor Mati programme, BALCO linked water security with modern agriculture and diversified livelihood opportunities. The programme covered 9,420 farmers across 40 villages and strengthened irrigation security for more than 1,400 acres of farmland.
Farmers received training in modern agricultural practices, quality seed selection, soil testing, pest management and nutrient management. Water conservation structures, micro-irrigation and lift irrigation systems were also promoted.
According to BALCO, 80 per cent of participating farmers adopted modern and climate-resilient farming practices. Production increased by around 1.25 to 1.5 times, while average agricultural income rose by about 50 per cent and farming costs declined by 25 to 30 per cent.
Improved irrigation enabled more than 3,000 farmers to undertake second and third crops. Additional livelihood opportunities were created through animal husbandry, lac production, horticulture and fisheries, strengthening the economic resilience of rural households.
Skill training opens employment opportunities
The Vedanta Skill School network trained 1,202 youth at three centres in Korba, Kawardha and Surguja during FY2026. Around 82 per cent of trainees secured employment or entered entrepreneurial activities, with placement partners spread across 12 states.
Women constituted 61 per cent of the trainees, while 59 per cent belonged to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. Besides technical training, participants received support in personality development, artificial intelligence awareness, industrial visits, workplace safety, health and mentorship.
Women’s empowerment through Project Unnati
Project Unnati has focused on strengthening women’s economic independence through self-help groups, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship.
During FY2026, 40 new self-help groups were formed, taking the total number to 561 groups with 6,003 women members. Of these, 2,259 women are economically active. Collective savings of the groups reached ₹0.92 crore, while 90 per cent of the groups remained active through regular meetings and internal lending systems.
Nineteen self-help groups were linked with banks and secured loans of around ₹27 lakh. With support from Unnati Mahasangh, more than 600 women became involved in enterprises including Unatex, Decorati, Chhatisa, Cleanla, mushroom cultivation and Kosa silk production, generating revenue of around ₹20 lakh.
A further 104 women gained livelihood opportunities through 21 micro-enterprises, creating an additional monthly income of around ₹3,500 per woman.
Kosa silk connects heritage with markets
The Kosakari initiative, launched during FY2025-26, seeks to connect Chhattisgarh’s traditional Kosa silk heritage with modern markets. A Kosa weaving training centre was established at Dhangaon, where 20 women weavers received training.
The launch of the Kosakari brand and its digital platform has created new avenues for connecting traditional weavers with wider markets and enhancing recognition for their products.
Healthcare services reach rural communities
BALCO’s Aarogya project provided community health services to 93,442 people during FY2026. Outpatient services were provided to 4,799 patients through three rural health centres.
Health screenings were conducted for 3,340 children across 65 Anganwadis, identifying 915 malnourished children. BALCO reported improvement in nutritional status among 95 per cent of these children. Among 2,310 women screened for anaemia, 92 per cent recorded improvement in haemoglobin levels.
Two mobile health vans provided fortnightly services across 70 settlements, benefiting around 26,500 people.
The BALCO Medical Center in Naya Raipur also expanded access to advanced cancer care. During FY2025-26, 17,290 patients received treatment services under community development support. The centre conducted 2,800 surgeries, 16,891 chemotherapy sessions and 1,635 radiotherapy treatments. It also installed Central India’s first da Vinci Xi robot-assisted cancer surgery system.
Community infrastructure improves quality of life
BALCO also focused on improving access to basic community facilities. During FY2026, the company constructed four community centres, 12 community toilets and two community platforms, benefiting more than 7,500 people.
The facilities are intended to provide spaces for social and cultural activities while strengthening sanitation and hygiene practices within communities.
Sports and culture nurture young talent
The Lakshyavedh-BALCO archery programme was launched to identify and nurture sporting talent among young people while connecting Chhattisgarh’s traditional archery heritage with modern training methods.
Archery training was conducted across 29 schools, with more than 1,200 students screened. As many as 70 participants successfully cleared the selection trials.
From projects to sustainable transformation
BALCO said the reach of its community development programmes is important, but the larger measure of success lies in the changes taking place in the lives of people and families.
The company’s initiatives seek to build confidence and capabilities among farmers, enable women to make independent economic decisions, equip youth with skills and employment opportunities, improve learning opportunities for children and strengthen access to healthcare.
With its community-focused approach, BALCO aims to move beyond project-based interventions towards a sustained partnership with communities, enabling them to develop the capabilities needed to address future challenges and build a more inclusive and self-reliant future.
