With industry veterans at the helm, Vedanta Group aims for sustainable growth in iron and steel. ESL Steel capacity to increase to 3.5 MT post the ongoing expansion programme
New Delhi, 26th April 2021: Vedanta is all set to drive the next phase of sustainable growth in the Iron & Steel sector with the strategic elevation of two industry veterans. Sauvick Mazumdar, CEO of Vedanta Iron and Ferro Alloys Business, has been appointed as CEO of Vedanta’s Iron and Steel Sector, while NL Vhatte, who was Director, Vedanta – Value Added Business, will take up the role of CEO at ESL Steel.
Sauvick Mazumdar has been associated with the Group for almost 25 years and has diversified experience in the Iron & Steel sector including mining, exploration, logistics, iron making and business development. He was appointed as the CEO of the Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business in 2019. Post the acquisition of FACOR, Mazumdar has also been leading the Iron & Ferro Alloys Business of Vedanta.
On the other hand, NL Vhatte who will be the CEO of ESL steel that comes under the wing of the Vedanta group has a rich and diversified experience of three decades in Pig Iron, Metallurgical Coke, Steel Making and Waste Heat Recovery Power plants. will now Head ESL Steel, which was acquired by Vedanta to diversify into the steel industry in 2018.
Commenting on the two top-level appointments, Vedanta Group CEO Sunil Duggal said
"At Vedanta, our constant endeavour is to develop leaders from within the organization. I congratulate Sauvick Mazumdar and NL Vhatte for this much-deserved elevation. With their rich and diversified experience, I am sure that we will take our Iron & Steel business to greater heights with a strong emphasis on safety, environment and sustainable growth."
A mining engineer from NIT Surathkal, Sauvick Mazumdar has had a successful track record of driving the growth of Vedanta's Iron Ore Business through best-in-class techniques, innovation, state-of-the-art environment-friendly technologies, implementation of robust Safety systems and automation. Mazumdar is a member of FIMI, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), FICCI and CII and has been instrumental in transforming Sesa Goa- as the largest producer of Iron Ore and Merchant Pig Iron Producer and FACOR.
“I am delighted and extremely happy to have been named as the CEO of Vedanta’s Iron & Steel Sector. It was my dream to once lead the group when I joined the organization as a management trainee in 1994 and I feel blessed when I look at my journey so far. I thank the management for their trust in me and I am eagerly looking forward to this new role,” Mazumdar said.
An Electrical engineer with MBA in finance, Vhatte has a successful track record of driving the growth of Vedanta's value-added business (VAB) from 0.3 to 1 million tonnes as the largest merchant pig iron producer with the lowest cost. According to Vhatte:
“It’s an honour to be a part of the Vedanta group and Head ESL Steel Limited. I have been serving SESA Goa Limited for 27 years and it is a huge push for me personally to be appointed as the CEO of ESL Steel Limited. I want to thank the management and the executive committee for reposing their trust in me and my abilities to lead. I am very excited for this new role and I will do the best in my power to make this role a success.”
Vhatte has rich experience in Pig Iron & Metallurgical Coke production. He played a crucial role in the product diversification journey of Sesa Goa Iron Ore Business into Pig Iron Production, Metallurgical Coke and generation of Green power.
With the ongoing expansion of steel capacity at ESL Steel to 3.5 MT, Vhatte will play a critical role in creating a futuristic, world-class and motivated organization with a focus on HSE and sustainability excellence, people development, governance, advocacy, technology and digitization to bring large-scale performance transformation for the group.
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing to India’s growth story, currently contributing 1 per cent of India’s GDP. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and the environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities.