Bhubaneswar: Aditya Aluminium, a unit of Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco Industries Limited, is fostering sustainable livelihoods and environmental stewardship through Project Basketry – a distinctive initiative launched under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, implemented in collaboration with the NGO Uphold Earth. The proiject seeks to create steady income opportunities for rural women by reviving traditional bamboo craftsmanship in Laumal and adjoining villages of Sambalpur district.
Under this initiative, bamboo saplings are distributed among community members to encourage bamboo cultivation as a renewable and eco-friendly resource. By enabling artisans to grow their own bamboo, the project ensures a consistent supply of raw material – fostering long-term livelihood sustainability and self-eliance.
Speaking on this initiative, the Head of Mining Business and Sambalpur Cluster Head Kailash Pandey, said: “Project Basketry embodies Aditya Aluminium’s vision: inclusive growth with environmental responsibility. By empowering rural women and revitalizing traditional craftsmanship, the company is building resilient communities anchored in skill, creativity, and self-reliance.”
To strengthen craft-based skills, Aditya Aluminium- Lapanga organized a 40-day hands-on training program on bamboo handicrat making in Laumal village. The program, which began on September 12, 2024, focused on designing and producing utility-based products such as laundry bins, paper bins, and baskets. A total of 15 women artisans participated in the inaugural training program. The impact was immediate and measurable: these women collectively produced and sold 1,350 bamboo products, generating a total revenue of Rs 1,71,870.
” The achievement not only reflects their enhanced craftsmanship and confidence but also highlights the commercial potential of bamboo-based microenterprises at the grassroots level,” said Pandey.
Encouraged by the success, Aditya Aluminium’s CSR team has set an ambitious target for the current financial year — to scale Project Basketry from 15 to 100 rural women across multiple villages in the Rengali Block. The broader vision is to develop Rengali as a “Cluster of Bamboo Craft” creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that nurtures local artisans, strengthens market linkages, and establishes the region as a hub for eco- friendly bamboo products.
As a responsible corporate citizen and driven by the constant motivation to give back to society, in Odisha, the Aditya Birla Group reaches out to more than 5 lakhs people touching over 2 lakh lives in 128 villages. The Group’s CSR is conducted under the aegis of the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development chaired by Ms. Rajashree Birla.
