Hindalco’s Aditya Alumina Refinery launches ‘Project Udyamee’ to spur rural entrepreneurship in Odisha
CSR initiative to set up Rural Business Incubation Centre in Kashipur, focusing on youth and women
Programme aims to build sustainable micro-enterprises and strengthen local economy in tribal Rayagada
By A.K.Sahoo
Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13:Aditya Alumina Refinery at Kansariguda in Odisha’s Rayagada district, a unit of Hindalco Industries Limited under the Aditya Birla Group, has launched Project Udyamee, a major rural entrepreneurship initiative aimed at empowering local youth and women and creating a sustainable grassroots enterprise ecosystem in the tribal Kashipur region.
The initiative was formally rolled out with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahashakti Foundation on January 9, marking a significant expansion of the company’s community development and livelihood generation efforts in the region.
At the core of Project Udyamee is the establishment of a Rural Business Incubation Centre, designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs in setting up and scaling micro-enterprises. The programme will offer comprehensive, end-to-end assistance—ranging from enterprise identification and business plan development to institutional convergence, financial linkages, market access facilitation and entrepreneurship capacity building.
The initiative seeks to promote enterprise development across manufacturing, trading, small businesses and service sectors, enabling sustainable income generation and fostering economic self-reliance among rural households. By focusing on local skill sets and market opportunities, Project Udyamee aims to create resilient livelihoods while reducing dependence on traditional and vulnerable income sources.
The MoU was signed by Mazhar Beig, Unit Head and President, Aditya Alumina Refinery, in the presence of Deepak Mohanty, Head – HR, IR and CSR, and Basudev Khuntiya, Head – Finance & Accounts. Jugal Kishor Patnaik, Founder of Mahashakti Foundation, signed the agreement on behalf of the implementing partner. Senior officials from both organisations attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Beig said Project Udyamee reflects Aditya Alumina Refinery’s strong commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic development. “By empowering local youth and women to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable livelihood option, the project will not only create a new generation of entrepreneurs but also give a significant boost to the local economy,” he said.
The initiative aligns with Hindalco’s broader CSR vision of community-led development and is expected to play a meaningful role in strengthening socio-economic outcomes in one of Odisha’s most underserved regions.
