THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, AUGUST 29, 2026
On National Sports
Day, Vedanta Group on Saturday highlighted its growing contribution to India’s
sporting ecosystem, saying its sports initiatives impacted around 3 lakh people
in FY26 by creating pathways spanning grassroots talent development, structured
training, professional sporting platforms and mass-participation events.
The Group said its
sports initiatives across football, archery, hockey, padel and marathons now
span 13 states through 20 programmes, creating opportunities for young
athletes, strengthening sporting infrastructure and bringing communities
together through participation.
Vedanta’s approach is
anchored in the belief that sporting excellence begins long before the podium,
with access to infrastructure, coaching, training and opportunities to compete.
Its sports ecosystem is built around three interconnected priorities — Nurture
Talent, Enable Excellence and Mobilise Through Sport.
At the grassroots
level, Vedanta’s football initiatives through the Zinc Football Academy in
Rajasthan and Sesa Football Academy in Goa have helped develop professional
footballers while creating opportunities for women and young players through
structured training and community-level competitions.
The academies have
also recorded strong performances on the competitive circuit. Zinc Football
Academy emerged champions of the Rajasthan State Senior Men’s and Women’s
Leagues, while Sesa Football Academy’s Senior Women’s Team qualified for the
Indian Women’s League.
In archery, Vedanta’s
programmes in Bokaro, Jharkhand, and Lanjigarh, Odisha, train more than 300
athletes annually, with a particular focus on nurturing sporting talent from
rural and tribal communities.
These programmes have
produced medals at district, state and national competitions, with athletes
progressing to represent their states at national-level events, including Khelo
India competitions. The Lanjigarh programme has also contributed to Odisha
winning its first national archery medal after a gap of 21 years.
Beyond grassroots
development, Vedanta is strengthening pathways to high-performance and
professional sport by providing athletes and teams with platforms to compete at
the highest levels while supporting the growth of emerging sporting
disciplines.
The Kalinga Lancers
emerged Hockey India League champions in 2026, reinforcing Vedanta’s engagement
with Odisha’s rich hockey legacy and its contribution to professional hockey.
The Group is also
participating in leading professional padel leagues through the Vedanta
Leopards and Vedanta Warriors, contributing to the growing visibility and
popularity of the emerging sport in India.
Going forward,
Vedanta said it intends to deepen its engagement with padel, with a focus on
building a stronger ecosystem that connects professional sport with grassroots
participation and creates more opportunities for young talent to discover and
pursue the sport.
Vedanta’s sporting
ecosystem extends beyond competitive sport, with mass participation being used
as a platform to promote fitness, bring communities together and generate wider
social impact.
Through the Vedanta
Delhi Half Marathon, Vedanta Pink City Half Marathon and Vedanta Zinc City Half
Marathon, the Group brings together thousands of participants around fitness,
community and social causes.
Since 2022, the
Group’s #RunForZeroHunger campaign has facilitated more than 22 million meals,
highlighting how participation in sport can translate into tangible social
impact.
Together, these
initiatives reflect Vedanta’s broader approach to sports development —
nurturing talent at the grassroots, enabling athletes and teams to pursue
excellence, and mobilising communities through participation.
By connecting access
and training with competitive platforms and mass participation, Vedanta said it
continues to build pathways that help transform sporting potential into
excellence while making sport a force for inclusion, community and social
impact.
