Vedanta approves ₹6,256 cr interim dividend; VRL to get ₹3,503 cr

Vedanta's board cleared a ₹16-a-share interim dividend totalling ₹6,256 crore, with 56 per cent set to flow to parent Vedanta Resources as it battles heavy debt

Vedanta Ltd’s board on Thursday approved a second interim dividend of ₹16 a share, handing its unlisted London-based parent Vedanta Resources Ltd (VRL) another crucial cash lifeline as it works to pare down debt.

 

The total payout amounts to about ₹6,256 crore for FY26, the company said in an exchange filing. Of this, about 56 per cent—roughly ₹3,503 crore—will flow to Vedanta Resources, which owns the controlling stake in the Mumbai-listed miner.

 

The record date for the dividend has been set as 27 August 2025.

 

Vedanta has a history of large shareholder returns, with frequent interim dividends helping funnel capital upstream to its debt-laden parent. Vedanta Resources, controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal, has been under pressure to service borrowings, including dollar bonds, after multiple rounds of refinancing.

 

The latest payout underscores how India’s biggest natural resources group continues to rely on steady cash generation from its zinc, aluminium, oil and power businesses to support the parent’s balance sheet.

 

The company has come under attack from short-seller Viceroy Research, which said Vedanta’s dividends have consistently exceeded its free cash flows, with the Anil Agarwal-owned company resorting to working capital management, debt, and asset sales to meet VRL’s needs. The shortfall, Viceroy argued, is consistently made up with borrowings.