Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta, has called for a national mission to unlock India’s below-the-ground potential through entrepreneurship, privatisation, exploration and trust-based governance. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, he said India has the geology, entrepreneurial talent and advanced technology required to achieve large-scale self-reliance in natural resources.

Drawing a parallel with India’s Green Revolution, Agarwal said the country must create a similar movement around minerals, metals, oil and gas to reduce import dependence and generate employment. He described this as a ‘Green Revolution for below-the-ground’, noting that nearly 50 per cent of India’s imports are linked to natural resources despite the country having rich geological reserves.

He said policy support, faster approvals, exploration-led growth and greater trust in entrepreneurs could significantly increase domestic production across sectors such as oil and gas, copper, aluminium, gold, zinc, nickel and critical minerals. According to him, India has the capability to become an energy-surplus and manufacturing-driven nation.

Agarwal also highlighted Vedanta’s experience in transforming Hindustan Zinc and Bharat Aluminium Company Limited. He said entrepreneurship, technology and operational freedom helped scale production while creating employment and downstream industrial ecosystems. India’s zinc production increased from nearly 0.14 million tonnes to around 3 million tonnes, while aluminium production at BALCO rose from 0.1 million tonnes, with a target to reach 6 million tonnes.

He said that whenever the government has trusted entrepreneurs, they have delivered world-class outcomes. Agarwal added that these transformations were achieved using the same assets and workforce, underlining the role of investment, innovation and trust in enterprise-led growth.

He also highlighted the growing role of women in Vedanta’s workforce, stating that they now constitute nearly 30 per cent of the company’s employee base across businesses. He said higher participation of women in manufacturing and natural resources would be critical to India’s long-term growth.