Ex-Nalco Chief Tapan Kumar Chand joins Vedanta as Resident Director of Odisha & Chhattisgarh

India’s largest aluminium producer, Vedanta has appointed the former CMD NALCO & currently Independent Director of BALCO, Dr Tapan Kumar Chand as Resident Director of Odisha & Chhattisgarh.

Dr Chand, an alumnus of the University of Calcutta is renowned as a top mining & metal professional, who is carrying a successful track record of performance in the coal, steel & aluminium sectors. On 23rd July 2021, he has taken over the charge.

The high-level appointment of Dr Chand comes at the heels, when Vedanta advancing to emerge as the second-largest producer of aluminium in the world with 3 million tonnes metal aluminium output & 6 million tonnes of alumina capacity.

Currently, Vedanta is the largest producer of aluminium in India and with the demand for green metal likely to be twice in the coming 5 years, the metal company projects for timely fulfilling the country’s demand for aluminium and moving ahead towards self-reliant India.

The operationalization of three coal blocks, Vedanta has bagged in the auction in Odisha with the annual raising of 18 million tonnes & bauxite security of 22 million tonnes per annum will be a big responsibility Dr Chand has to manage, while the other big agenda is setting up Jharsuguda Aluminium Park, Odisha and Aluminium Park in Chhattisgarh, which is the admiration of local MSMEs.

Since Dr Chand is well famous for innovative & empathetic CSR schemes taking the stakeholders on board Vedanta is likely to have a transformational community engagement approach in these areas, a highly desirable change for inhabitants in Odisha & Chhattisgarh.

Nalco gained thorough raw material security with extension lease of Panchpatpali Bauxite mines, allocation of Pattangi Bauxite mines & Coal blocks during Dr Chand’s regime. Mining and Metal Industry bodies, professionals, sector analysts & people from different sections in Odisha and stakeholders in Chhattisgarh have applauded the move.