Vedanta Resources Research Articles

JURISDICTION OF THE ENGLISH COURTS OVER OVERSEAS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

IN Lungowe v Vedanta Resources Plc [2016] EWHC 975 (TCC), the High Court allowed a claim to be heard in England against parent company incorporated in England and its foreign subsidiary in relation to the overseas subsidiary's operations. The judge considered whether the claim against the English-domiciled defendant could be stayed on the basis of forum non conveniens, and whether jurisdiction could be established over its foreign subsidiary as a necessary and proper party to the case. The overall analysis of the judgment suggests that (1) the claims against the parent company in relation to the overseas operations of the foreign subsidiary can be heard in the English courts and (2) the existence of an arguable claim against the English-domiciled parent company also establishes jurisdiction of the English courts over the subsidiary even if the factual basis of the case occurs almost exclusively in the foreign state.

Framing Human Rights and the Production of Translation Legal Consciousness

This paper presents a case study on a complaint document filed by the British NGO “Survival International” against the multinational mining conglomerate Vedanta Resources for alleged human rights violations. By examining the internal and external dynamics of the text of the complaint document, this paper seeks to delineate the strategic framing of rights violations by Survival International within the context of international legal discourse. The document operates beyond the contours of international legal formalism. The complaint document functions as a polycentric legal document, as it seeks to bridge the gap between “hard” and “soft” international legal structures through the invocation of multiple discrete norm systems in a unified fashion. Most importantly, by bringing together civil-political and socioeconomic rights into a singular, indivisible human rights narrative frame, the documents serves as an example of the ways which non-state actors utilize the discursive dynamics of the polycentric global norm structures for disciplining corporate social responsibility.

Vedanta Resources PLC. A Case Study on Lack of Focus on Social Issues and its aftermath at Lanjigarh, Orissa

Vedanta Resources PLC. A Case Study on Lack of Focus on Social Issues and its aftermath at Lanjigarh, Orissa

The In and Outs of Niyamgiri Gram Sabha in Odisha

Vedanta Resources is a global diversified metals and minerals company founded by Anil Agarwal in 1976. Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Pvt. Ltd. VAL established a 1 MTPA Aluminium project at Lanjigarh targeting Niyamgiri bauxite mine as committed by Odisha Government. Since the mines project location is in scheduled area, PESA Act is applicable and consent of Gram Sabha was taken while making land acquisition/Forest Diversion etc. in all the project sites. There was resentment by the local Dangaria Kandha on the ground of damage to the ecology of the area including threat to the existence of the deity Niyam Raja who to their belief abode Niyamagiri. Supreme Court intervene for further Gram Sabha to take the consent of the people for the mining of the area before environment clearance.Gram Sabha failed. The reason behind failure and the consequence of the failure is well analyzed in the article. The provisions of the PESA Act and the implementation of Gram Sabha have been narrated keeping an eye to the socio economic factors and Industrial pace of the state.

Commemoration of Committed Endeavours

Long before the applications of Science and Technology for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development became a recognized field of human endeavour, there have been attempts by individuals and institutions who had the commitment and wisdom to begin the effort. The authors have chosen historical incidents tracing the rudiments of the work of Emperor Ashoka, to the Bishnois of Rajasthan, John Muir, a Scottish-born American in USA, Richard St. Barbe Baker and Wangari Maathai in Africa. People such as Chico Mendes lost their life in preventing the destruction of great Amazonian forest and N. I. Vavilov, a Russian geneticist who foresaw the value of collecting large samples of seeds of cultivated plants in seed banks, much against the then prevalent communist doctrine, not believing in the importance of inheritance. The Chipko movement in Garhwal Himalaya started by Gaura devi and other womenfolk supported by Chandi Prasad Bhat and Sunderlal Bahuguna has been briefly traced. References are also made to the work of Jim Corbett and Salim Ali for the conservation of tigers and birds respectively and recounting the enormous movement to save Silent Valley representing tropical evergreen forest in Kerala from being utilized for generating a very small amount of power. The decision taken by Government of India to refuse Vedanta Resources from utilizing the Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa for bauxite mining which is considered as an abode of their Niyamraja, worshipped by the Dongaria Kondh tribe consisting of 8,000 people has been hailed by the Indian people as just. Finally attention is drawn to Prof. A. Abraham’s efforts to develop a Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute in Kerala for collection, conservation and sustainable utilization of 800 medicinal plants, orchids, bamboos and other useful tropical plants. A brief note on the intense efforts made by K. S. Manilal in bringing out English and Malayalam Editions of Hortus Malabaricus compiled by Van Rheede in 12 volumes in old Latin between 1678 and 1693 and in publishing the Flora of Silent Valley has been included.

VEDANTA Resources PLC: Whose Development is it Anyway?

VEDANTA Resources PLC is a London-based multi-national enterprise whose vision is to be a world-class, diversified resources company providing superior returns to its shareholders with high quality assets, low cost operations, and sustainable development. While it may be difficult to argue with the intent of the first two objectives, many questions have arisen regarding sustainable development. The company’s operations have been steeped in controversy on a wide range of parameters. Surprisingly, this is true of the company’s operations across different locations. This case examines the rise of the company from a small-time trading company to a conglomerate operating in five continents, and the manner in which the avowed objectives have been sought to be achieved, along with contrarian viewpoints expressed by other stakeholders.

Conglomerate diversification through cross-continent acquisition: Vedanta weds Cairn India

Subject area corporate policy and strategy – mergers and acquisitions. Study level/applicability Post graduation (MBA and other management degrees). It includes courses on Strategic Management, Business Environment and International Business. Case overview Markets are becoming highly connective, accessible and communicative and reaching maturity at a very high phase. Acquisition is a choice to enhance the emerging and diversified markets. This case paper presents insights on Vedanta – Cairn India cross-border acquisition deal in Indian oil and exploration industry. This case synchronizes the gap between strategic planning and outcome of actions. The study exclusively evidences the reaction of stocks of all attached parties against acquisition announcement and compares with market performance. Expected learning outcomes Strategic mapping of business negotiations, while in-organic choices, further the impact of economic, political, legal and regulatory factors on cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A), deliberate deal financing mechanism and leadership diplomacy. It proposes from the viewpoint of corporate in-organic alternatives and to strengthen the upcoming research field of strategy & policy. Supplementary materials Global M&A market, shareholding pattern, income statement and balance sheet of Cairn India Ltd, financial figures of Vedanta Resources, tabular data on stock and index performance, deal structure and teaching note.