Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar

Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc

Priya Agarwal Hebbar is the Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited, India’s largest and world’s 2^nd largest integrated Zinc producer and is also the Non-Executive Director at Vedanta Ltd, world’s leading natural resources conglomerate.

She holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK. She is deeply passionate about the environment & sustainability and has been playing an instrumental role in the ESG transformation at Vedanta. She also steers best-in-class people practices across the Group.

Priya is passionate about nature conservation, animal welfare, child nutrition and gender parity which has driven her to lead a variety of CSR initiatives. Under Priya’s leadership, the Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta, has invested around USD 240 million towards socio-economic development in India touching the lives of around fifty million people across 1300 villages in India and has pledged USD 600 million over the next 5 years towards social impact projects. Vedanta has modernized over 4000 anganwadis across the country through its flagship project Nand Ghar which aims to ensure opportunities for seven crore children and 2 crore women even in the remotest parts of the country. Nand Ghar reimagines the anganwadi network with state-of-the-art infrastructure powered with 24×7 solar electricity, clean hygienic toilets, water purifiers and provides best in class services for e-learning based pre-school education, wholesome nutrition, health, hygiene, and women empowerment.

Following her love for animals, in 2010, Priya founded YODA – Youth Organization in Defence of Animals, today the largest animal welfare organization in Maharashtra with focus on rehabilitation of injured, sick, and abandoned stray animals, rehabilitating over 3000 animals each month. It partners with the local municipality to vaccinate and sterilize around 600 animals each month. YODA ensures the adoption of over 4000 shelter animals every year, providing 24/7 ambulance services across the city of Mumbai with fully equipped ambulances to conduct emergency treatments on spot. It aims to reduce rabies, ensure stray population control in Maharashtra, and promotes community awareness and education through school outreach to instill sensitivity towards animals in young children.

Priya is also leading India’s first state-of-the-art animal welfare project TACO – The Animal Care Organization, under AAF which will bring leading academicians, veterinary professionals, and communities together to create a more holistic approach to animal care in India. TACO also supports tiger conservation efforts and provides infrastructural support to the Ranthambore National Park in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan.

With focused action plans on decarbonization, water positivity, workplace safety, community welfare and workforce diversity, Priya’s leadership is driving Vedanta on a transformative journey to emerge as an industry leader in ESG.