ESOPs at ₹1 per share; 1,200 freshers get first stock ownership in 2025
New Delhi: Vedanta Limited has announced what is being hailed as one of India’s largest employee wealth creation programmes, unveiling a massive ₹2,500 crore equity grant under its Employee Stock Option Scheme (ESOP). The initiative, running since 2020, is redefining how Indian manufacturing companies reward and retain talent.
Under the scheme, employees are allotted company shares at a token price of ₹1 per share—the lowest ESOP pricing seen in the country. With Vedanta’s stock rising nearly 80 percent in the latest vesting cycle, employees under the ESOP 2022 round alone generated over ₹300 crore in wealth.
At Vedanta, we believe that shared ownership is stronger growth!
Over the last five years, we’ve delivered India’s largest employee equity grant in manufacturing worth ₹2,500 crore in cumulative Employee Stock Option Programme (ESOP) value, extending ownership across… pic.twitter.com/1mmydIznzd
— Vedanta Group (@Vedanta_Group) January 22, 2026
Freshers Get Stock Ownership
In a first for the group, Vedanta has extended ESOP benefits in 2025 to 1,200 employees, including fresh graduates and early-career professionals. The company has allocated over ₹500 crore worth of stock options under the ESOP 2025 tranche.
The model is among the most inclusive in India, covering nearly 40 percent of Vedanta’s workforce across plants, departments and career levels. Freshers can earn equity benefits worth up to 30 percent of their annual salary over three years, placing Vedanta among a rare group of Indian firms offering ESOPs at the entry level.
Real Impact on Employees’ Lives
Employees say the scheme has transformed their financial futures—helping them buy homes, fund education, manage medical emergencies, and secure long-term savings.
Neeraj Kumar, Manager at Hindustan Zinc, said the ESOP helped him support his family during a critical time.
S.M. Rehman Qasim of BALCO credited the scheme for easing his children’s education expenses, while Nilesh Bhor from Sterlite Copper called it “a lifeline during an emergency.”
Performance-Linked, Future-Focused
Vedanta’s ESOPs are tied to company performance and reward contributions in automation, digitalisation, AI-driven innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence. The programme reflects Chairman Anil Agarwal’s belief that employees should share directly in the wealth they help create.
With this initiative, Vedanta is reshaping compensation structures in Indian manufacturing—making employee ownership a central pillar of growth.
Notably, Vedanta Group is a global leader in metals, critical minerals, energy and technology, with operations across India, South Africa, Namibia, Liberia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. It is the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, the fourth-largest silver producer, and a major aluminum manufacturer. Vedanta has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
