Tata Steel Foundation Felicitates Mountaineers with Visual Impairment, Celebrates Their Dzo-Jongo Peak Achievement  

Jamshedpur, September 7, 2026: Tata Steel Foundation today felicitated mountaineers with visual impairment who undertook an extraordinary high-altitude expedition to Dzo-Jongo Peak at 20,000 Feet in Ladakh, as part of Project Peak Potential, an initiative aimed at demonstrating the power of inclusion, determination and human potential.

The felicitation ceremony, held at SABAL Centre, Sakchi, Jamshedpur, brought together the mountaineers, members of the Tata Steel Foundation team and the media to share the remarkable journey behind the expedition, from the remote villages of West Singhbhum to the high-altitude landscapes of the Himalayas.

The event, themed “From Noamundi to Dzo-Jongo: A Journey of Possibility,” featured a visual walkthrough of the journey and the experiences of the mountaineers who participated in the expedition.

At the centre of the story are Shekhar Gope, 24, from Todanhatu, and Dhiroj Kumar, 23, from Kadamdiha, both of whom have 100% visual impairment. Having joined the Tata Steel Foundation's Sabal initiative in 2022, the two underwent training in independent mobility, outdoor preparedness and mountaineering as they progressively challenged conventional perceptions of what is possible.

As part of the expedition, Shekhar successfully summited Dzo-Jongo Peak, while Dhiroj reached the expedition's base camp at an altitude of 16,732 feet before having to discontinue his ascent due to health concerns.

The media interaction also featured experience-sharing by Shekhar and Dhiroj, along with fellow mountaineers Bijoo Murmu and Sunita Soren, offering insights into their training, challenges, teamwork and experiences during the expedition.

Speaking on the occasion, Capt. Amitabh, Head Skill Development, Tata Steel Foundation, shared his thoughts on the determination, preparation and resilience required to achieve seemingly impossible goals, while the mountaineers were felicitated for their remarkable achievements.

Project Peak Potential builds on the Foundation's efforts under Sabal to create pathways for persons with disabilities to develop greater independence, confidence and capabilities. The journey of Shekhar and Dhiroj from communities where even basic mobility resources were difficult to access to taking on one of the toughest high-altitude challenges is a powerful example of how opportunity and inclusion can unlock extraordinary potential.

The event also provided an opportunity for the media to interact with the mountaineers and the Tata Steel Foundation team and understand the journey, training and experiences that culminated in the Dzo-Jongo expedition.