New Delhi, September 18: The 18th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is almost upon us, and runners from various parts of the National Capital are gearing up for Race Day (15th October). There’s plenty of enthusiasm amongst the participating runners, and especially among those, who have been at it for several years.
Sumant Kumar, who has participated in the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon for over 15 years, expressed “For a running enthusiast, any opportunity to get going and run with fellow runners is fun. There is a bunch of us friends and we keep in touch and plan our runs, and it is another opportunity for us to meet and encourage each other, talk fitness.”
The 57-year-old, an engineer and an athlete from his school days noted that fitness was the main reason to take up running full-time during his formative years. “I wanted to remain fit and then I realized that I enjoyed it quite a bit and was able to maintain pace and stamina over a long distance. I thought this would be the best way to get some exercise, and not be dependent on a partner or a team.”
Meanwhile, Anil Gulati, who ran his first Delhi Half Marathon in 2006 and has been there at the starting line every year after that, said “Running is a sport that grows on you and there is no age barrier, so that is the best part. Another thing that I love about the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is that it allows us to run in the middle of the road in the city and look at the monuments from a very different point of view. You see Delhi from a very different angle, and one of the best aspects for me is you make friends.” He further added, “There are no losers in running and every step you take is a win.”
Another veteran runner, Amit Gupta says he always feels really happy on Race Day, as the event brings people from all corners of the city and country together, making it a vibrant atmosphere, just as the winter begins to set in. Holder of a special bib (Bib Number – 2222) which he received on the 10th anniversary of the race, Amit expressed why he is [assionate about running, “The running culture has improved a lot over the last two decades, and it continues to grow at a rapid pace. Training for the marathon and the race too, both are very enjoyable, and helps stay in a discipline with a lot of excitement. And the best thing is you can do it alone, all you need is a pair of shoes and the road ahead.”
ABOUT VEDANTA LIMITED
Vedanta Limited (“Vedanta”), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading natural resources companies spanning across India, South Africa, Namibia, Liberia, UAE, Korea, Taiwan and Japan with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, Nickel, Aluminium, Power & Glass Substrate and foraying into semiconductors and display glass. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta’s strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector, is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner and aims to spend $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate this transition. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on various social impact programs and its flagship project, Nand Ghar is setting up model anganwadis across India. Vedanta Ltd. has been listed in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2022, conferred Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2023. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
ABOUT IDFC FIRST BANK
IDFC FIRST Bank’s vision is to build a world-class bank in India that’s guided by ethics, powered by technology, and a force for social good.
Philosophy: The Bank has a customer-first philosophy offering high-quality products including current accounts, savings accounts, fixed deposits, retail loans, business loans, corporate banking, cash management solutions, FASTag, wealth management, and 24/7 customer care services. IDFC FIRST bank is one of the select banks to work with the regulator for pilot projects for many banking technology initiatives for India like CBDC, UPI for foreigners etc.
Unique Benefits for customers: The Bank is the first and only bank in India that offers Zero fees for 28 essential services on savings accounts including for ATM cash withdrawals, IMPS, RTGS, NEFT, Cash Deposits and Cash withdrawals at branches, SMS Alerts, Cheque book, Demand Drafts, Pay-order, duplicate statements, etc. IDFC FIRST Bank is the first bank to offer monthly credit on savings accounts, so customers earn more with us. The bank’s credit cards have unique features such as lifetime free, never-expiring rewards points, zero interest on cash withdrawal at ATMs and low APR.
Ethics First: IDFC FIRST Bank prioritizes ethics in all its dealings and product design. The Bank believes income earned unethically is not worth earning. The Bank applies a “Near and Dear” Test in all product design, so that the employees of the Bank serve only such products to customers that they’d want for their own loved ones.
Transformation: IDFC FIRST Bank has transformed from infrastructure to retail banking in four years since merger, increasing CASA ratio from 8.6% to 46.5% (June 30, 2023) and increased Retail Deposits as % of total deposits from 27% to 77%, and set up 824 branches and 1,069 ATMs.
Financial Performance: The Bank recorded a PAT of Rs. 765 crore (~US$ 93 million) in Q1-FY24, with strong Capital Adequacy of 16.96%. The Bank has high asset quality, with Retail, Rural & SME book having Gross NPA of 1.53% and Net NPA of 0.52% as of June 30, 2023. Overall Gross NPA including infrastructure is 2.17% and Net NPA is 0.70%.
ESG Goals: The Bank is highly committed to ESG. The Bank has high governance scores, the business lines naturally support social goals, and efforts are ongoing to achieve environmental goals.
Since its inception in 1988, Procam International has been the driving force behind the growth and development of sports management in India. Founded by Anil and Vivek Singh, Procam is India’s premier sports management company and is involved in live events, sports consultancy, and live television production.
With astute planning and exemplary execution, Procam has a track record of conceptualising and promoting over 100 international events, across the disciplines of Powerboat Racing, Cricket, Football, Tennis, Distance Running, Squash, WWE, Horse Racing, Volleyball, among others. These events have elicited participation of the highest calibre of athletes and huge public interest and attendance.
Pioneers of the distance running movement in India, Procam International’s Big 4 – Tata Mumbai Marathon, Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, Tata Consultancy Services World 10K and Tata Steel Kolkata 25 K — are global leaders in their respective distances. They have ushered in a running revolution that has helped redefine, the health, fitness, and ‘giving’ paradigm of our country.
