We have hardly any debt except the $12 billion: Vedanta's Anil Agarwal

In a recent chat with ET, Vedanta Group’s chairman Anil Agarwal revealed some insights into his business.

He said Vedanta’s debt was alright since the current $12 billion debt is easily recoverable against big plans that could easily gulp up $15-20 billion in a decade. 

“We have hardly any debt. The total debt is only $12 billion while setting up a company will cost $15-20 billion and take 10 years. So, there is hardly any debt.” Anil Agarwal told ET.

While mulling over divesting the steel business, his steel advisors are bullish on its growth. 

“We thought of divesting the steel business, because that is not my core line. But my people in steel are very bullish and they keep telling me that we are going to expand this to a very different level because we are the lowest cost producer.” Agarwal added.

They're eyeing expansion like never before, claiming the lowest-cost producer crown. And then there's the philanthropic mission to boost Nand Ghars (Anganwadis), aiming for a surge from 6,000 to 25,000 in just two years. 

Anil admits to having a vision of franchising these centres to all sorts—panchayat heads, MLAs, MPs, business folks, retired officers—running them with Vedanta's blueprint. 

He's optimistic, trusting in Ishwar to make it all happen. 

“Karnewala ishwar hai, but kuch na kuch, jaroor hoga.”: Agarwal shared.

And as for the debt fuss, Anil brushes it off, confident in Vedanta's low-debt stance and the solid groundwork they've laid. 

He said Vedanta’s move and each asset is meticulously crafted with the nation's needs in mind, building toward a brighter future.

Vedanta Limited is an Indian MNC mining company based in Mumbai, with its main operations in iron ore, gold and aluminium mines in Goa, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Odisha. 

Vedanta Group Revenue:

As per its revenue filings, the mining company generated US$18 billion in 2024.