Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta, has called for a national mission to unlock India’s below-the-ground wealth through entrepreneurship, privatisation, faster exploration and trust-based governance.
Speaking at an event, he argued that India already has strong geology, skilled entrepreneurs and advanced technology, but needs a sharper policy push to achieve large-scale self-reliance in natural resources.
Drawing a parallel with the Green Revolution, Agarwal said India now needs a similar transformation in minerals, metals, oil and gas.
He described it as a “Green Revolution for below-the-ground”, stressing that reducing import dependence could unlock jobs and strengthen domestic industry.
He pointed out that nearly 50% of India’s imports are linked to below-the-ground resources, despite the country’s rich geological base, and said faster approvals and exploration-led growth are essential across sectors including oil & gas, copper, aluminium, gold, zinc, nickel and critical minerals.
“India should not send its hard-earned money abroad to create jobs in other countries”
Agarwal highlighted Vedanta’s track record in building scale in the sector, citing its work with Hindustan Zinc Limited and Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO). According to him, entrepreneurship, technology and operational freedom were key to unlocking large-scale production and creating downstream industrial ecosystems.
He said India’s zinc output rose from about 1.4 lakh tonnes to nearly 30 lakh tonnes, while aluminium production at BALCO grew from 1 lakh tonne and is now targeted to reach 60 lakh tonnes. He added that these changes were achieved using the same assets and workforce, underscoring the role of investment, innovation and trust.
“Whenever the government has trusted entrepreneurs, they have delivered world-class outcomes”
He further said: “Today, if India earns 100 rupees, nearly 50 rupees go abroad to import resources. Trust entrepreneurs, whenever the government has trusted entrepreneurs, they have delivered world-class outcomes. Exploration, exploration, exploration is what India needs.
"We have the geology, young people, technology and capability to become an energy-surplus and manufacturing-driven nation.”
Agarwal also pointed to workforce diversity at Vedanta, noting that women now make up nearly 30% of its employees across businesses. He said women professionals have shown strong leadership and stressed that greater participation of women in manufacturing and natural resources will be vital to India’s long-term growth.
