Key Points
- Vedanta Limited’s donations to BJP surged nearly fourfold to ₹97 crore in FY25.
- Total political donations by Vedanta reached ₹157 crore, up from ₹97 crore the previous year.
- Donations to Congress plummeted to ₹10 crore, a sharp drop from ₹49 crore in FY24.
- Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also saw increased contributions.
- Vedanta has donated ₹457 crore through now-banned electoral bonds since 2017.
- The Supreme Court declared electoral bonds unconstitutional in 2024, ending anonymous political funding.
- Vedanta’s Janhit Electoral Trust is among several corporate electoral trusts channeling political donations.
New Delhi: Vedanta Limited, the mining conglomerate led by billionaire Anil Agarwal, has dramatically increased its political contributions in the financial year 2024-25. According to the company’s latest annual report, donations to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soared to ₹97 crore almost four times the ₹26 crore given in the previous year. This comes as part of a total political donation outlay of ₹157 crore, up from ₹97 crore in FY24.
Donations to Other Parties: Congress, BJD, and JMM
While BJP received the lion’s share, Vedanta’s donations to the main opposition, Congress, fell sharply to ₹10 crore from ₹49 crore last year. Other significant recipients included:
| Political Party | FY25 Donation | FY24 Donation |
|---|---|---|
| BJP | ₹97 crore | ₹26 crore |
| Congress (INC) | ₹10 crore | ₹49 crore |
| Biju Janata Dal (BJD) | ₹25 crore | ₹15 crore |
| Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) | ₹20 crore | ₹5 crore |
Vedanta has consistently ranked among India’s top corporate political donors, with previous years’ donations totaling ₹155 crore (FY23) and ₹123 crore (FY22), though party-wise breakdowns for those years were not disclosed.
The End of Electoral Bonds and Vedanta’s Role
Between 2017 and 2022, Vedanta donated ₹457 crore to political parties via electoral bonds, which allowed for anonymous and unlimited contributions from both companies and individuals. The Supreme Court of India declared these bonds unconstitutional in 2024, citing concerns over transparency and the public’s right to know about political funding sources.
Corporate Electoral Trusts: Vedanta and Industry Peers
Vedanta channels a portion of its political contributions through the Janhit Electoral Trust, one of several such entities established by major Indian corporations. Other prominent trusts include:
- Progressive Electoral Trust (Tata)
- People’s Electoral Trust (Reliance)
- Satya Electoral Trust (Bharti Group)
- Paribartan Electoral Trust (MP Birla Group)
- Samaj Electoral Trust Association (KK Birla Group)
- Trusts by Bajaj and Mahindra
These trusts have played a significant role in the political funding landscape, especially during the era of electoral bonds.
Additional Financial Details
Apart from political donations, Vedanta’s annual report also details substantial management and brand fee payments to its parent company, London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc. These fees range from 0.75% to 3% of turnover for the use of the “Vedanta” brand and strategic services.
Vedanta’s sharp increase in political donations to the BJP and the shifting landscape following the Supreme Court’s electoral bond ban underscore the company’s influential role in Indian political funding. As transparency measures tighten, the activities of major corporate donors like Vedanta remain under close scrutiny.
