Expressing his thoughts on the various sustainability initiatives undertaken by VISL, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, CEO, VISL, said, “The transition to a sustainable future requires a fundamental rethinking of how industries move materials, consume energy and interact with the environment. At VISL, we are driving this transformation through cleaner logistics, RE, integrating EVs, resource efficiency and ecological restoration. Our ambition is to leverage the sustainability interventions not only for driving of long-term value creation, but also for a ‘greener’ future.”
At the heart of VISL’s decarbonisation journey is the adoption of cleaner technologies. Electric passenger vehicles, wheel loaders and forklifts now power its operations, saving nearly 800 kilolitres of diesel annually and cutting greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
Equally transformative is the company’s focus on sustainable logistics. In FY26 alone, VISL’s barge fleet operations were equivalent to eliminating an estimated 2.1 lakh truck trips, helping conserve ~10.8 million litres of diesel, corresponding to a reduction of nearly 28,900 tonnes of CO₂ emissions (tCO₂e), – an impact comparable to offsetting the annual electricity-related carbon footprint of a small to mid-sized town.
Further strengthening its clean energy portfolio, VISL generates a cumulative 100MW of Waste Heat Recovery Power through operations at its pig iron plant in Amona, Goa, and at its Bokaro steel plant. This low carbon power facility has led to avoiding ~2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ (tCO₂e, exemplifying the company’s commitment to circular energy use and resource efficiency.
VISL’s environmental stewardship extends beyond operations into ecological restoration. The Sanquelim Reclaimed Mine in Goa, spanning over 100 hectares, is home to ~750,000 trees that sequester ~16,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Over three decades, this reclaimed landscape has absorbed nearly 480,000 tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to taking ~100,000 cars off the road for a year. Complementing this, VISL has developed Miyawaki forests at Amona (Goa) and Bokaro (Jharkhand), planting over 75000 trees as part of the project,alongside ~3 lac trees planted under the regular afforestation drives to enhance biodiversity.
Within its steel operations, VISL’s 1.5 million tonne integrated steel plant at Bokaro is transitioning to Piped Natural Gas through a partnership with Indian Oil Corporation, replacing LPG and will eventually reduce emissions by 1,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually.
Renewable energy is another cornerstone of VISL’s sustainability roadmap. Solar powered systems are being progressively integrated across the barge fleet, to power auxiliary power units, cutting diesel use by 2,500 litres per barge annually. The company is also working towards 55MW of solar power purchase agreements by 2030, along with integrating rooftop solar installations across sites. The Bokaro steel plant has progressively integrated solar power in operations, and consumed 28000 MWH, reducing 20000 tCO₂e which is equivalent to carbon sequestration of ~1 million trees.
By embedding technology, renewable energy, sustainable logistics and ecological restoration into a unified sustainability framework, VISL is not only aligning with the demand for a responsible footprint but actively making a measurable difference – cutting emissions, restoring ecosystems and setting new standards for how industry can contribute to a greener future.