INDIA WOMEN WORKFORCE
Budget 2024: Will govt retain focus on LPG subsidy to keep the cooker burning in rural India?
Union Budget 2024: The Modi-led government is likely to allocate Rs 9,000 crore for the LPG subsidy to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the upcoming Budget, according to a report by ET Now citing sources. This move continues the government's focus on providing subsidies under the Ujjwala Yojana scheme, primarily benefiting women.
Number of women in top roles rises slower than number of women in company boards
A paper by NCAER economists Ratna Sahay, Navya Srivastava, and Mahima Vasishth has documented these findings while highlighting the progress and shortcomings in gender diversity since the April 2015 mandate, the report said. This paper will be presented at the India Policy Forum.
India looks to match world average for share of women in workforce
Proposals under consideration include incentives to create employment, development of the care economy, and enabling easier access to finance to encourage more women to join the labour force, said people aware of the deliberations.
'We hire more women because they are more disciplined', says Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal on Foxconn controversy
Ola's founder Bhavish Aggarwal reaffirmed the company's commitment to employing women, including married women, amid reports of Foxconn's discriminatory practices. Ola's FutureFactory in Tamil Nadu employs an all-women workforce, with plans to extend this model to its new Gigafactory. Aggarwal emphasized that women are disciplined and dexterous, and Ola aims to address the low representation of women in the workforce by hiring at all levels, including senior management.
25% of new hires are married women; nearly 70% workforce are women: Apple iPhone maker Foxconn
Foxconn clarified to government that 25 per cent of new hires are married women and safety protocol banning metal is not discriminatory. Ministry of Labour sought report on married women issue at Foxconn India Apple iPhone Plant. Foxconn emphasised that safety protocol applied to all, not just Hindu women. They brushed away media reports saying it was a misinterpretation.
Apple supplier Foxconn rejects married women from India iPhone jobs
A former human-resources executive at Foxconn India said the company's executives verbally convey the recruitment rules to its Indian hiring agencies, which Foxconn tasks with scouting for candidates, bringing them in for interviews and employing them.
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View: Gender diversity needs work
This year, 797 women candidates contested the general elections, constituting 9.6% of the total 8,337 candidates. Only 74 of them won a seat in the 18th Lok Sabha - four fewer than the number of women in the 17th Lok Sabha. This comes less than a year after the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, which reserves one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and assemblies for women.
DGCA issues circular on gender equality to raise share of women workforce to 25% by 2025
The circular, according to the official, is in line with the principle of gender equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) vision to promote equal opportunities to achieve gender equality in aviation. The circular lists various steps that can be taken by the stakeholders to improve their policies and practices to address the issues of gender equality at the workplace.
DGCA issues advisory on gender equality, aims to increase women representation in India's aviation sector by 25%
India's aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued an advisory circular on Wednesday focusing on gender equality within the aviation sector. The circular, titled “Gender Equality in Civil Aviation Sector,” aligns with India's Constitution and ICAO’s vision for promoting equal opportunities in aviation.
India Inc makes a play for equality: L&T and Amazon lead the way with all-women teams in engineering and delivery
Engineering giant L&T has established an all-women team at Tata Steel's mining site in Odisha, handling large machinery repairs, inspired by a successful pilot. Amazon, which initiated all-women virtual customer service in 2020, now operates nine all-women delivery stations in various locations. Companies like Shell, KFC, and Dr. Reddy's are also creating all-women teams in various sectors, boosting productivity, reducing attrition, and attracting female talent. These initiatives aim to address the gender gap and promote inclusive practices across industries.
More women employees break free from 9-5 cycle, hustle for gig work
The number of female professionals opting for freelance roles surged, with a 300% increase in female consultants in India in FY24 over FY22, as per data from Flexing It shared exclusively with ET. In FY24, global organizations increasingly looked to India for high-quality talent at lower costs, taking advantage of the country's robust post-pandemic remote work practices.
India Inc doubles down on getting the gender mix right
Naina Lal Kidwai, chairperson of Rothschild & Co, who is also on the board of directors of Biocon and UPL, said one of the big factors fuelling this change is ESG reporting. Companies, especially the larger ones, are seeking ratings from global firms like Moody’s where one of the questions being asked is around diversity and inclusion. Indian companies also need to disclose Business Responsibility and Sustainability reporting besides adhering to integrated reporting where ESG etc, is being integrated into annual reports.
India’s five big IT firms see net exit of 25,000 women in FY24
The data analysis by staffing firm Xpheno revealed that five of India's top IT services companies - Infosys, TCS, Wipro, LTI Mindtree, and HCL Tech - have seen a collective net exit of 25,000 women in the year ending March. Despite an increase in the total number of women employed by these firms from 374,000 in March 2020 to 540,000 in March 2023, the diversity ratio has only seen a marginal growth of 0.9 percentage points during this period.
Percentage of women in senior leadership roles increases to 18% in 2023 from 16% in 2016: Report
The report by LinkedIn and The Quantum Hub highlights that while there has been an increase in women joining the workforce, leadership positions still lack gender parity. The representation of women across the workforce rose to 26.8% in 2024, but senior leadership roles only account for 18.3%, showing a decline from the previous year. Industries like education and government administration have higher female leadership representation, while sectors like construction and utilities lag behind.
Meet India's Insolvency professionals: Male, chartered accountants and not so young
The typical Indian insolvency professional (IP) is a middle-aged male chartered accountant. Only 10% of the 4,352 registered IPs are women, and just 7% are under 40 years old, according to data from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). Most IPs are chartered accountants (55%), with the rest being company secretaries (17%), lawyers (6%), and cost accountants (5%). About 90% are aged between 40 and 70.
Companies look to rework benefits for multi-generational workforce: Survey
A survey by Marsh India Insurance Brokers revealed 70% of companies seek new-age benefits and 50% aim to cater to the multi-generational workforce, focusing on Generation Z. Employers are designing comprehensive benefits tailored to diverse needs, including mental health support and flexible solutions.
Initiatives on track to increase women’s participation across levels, say 54% Indian employers – much above global average of 46%
Internal leadership development programmes, followed by flexible working policies, most effective in helping retain and secure diverse talent, finds ManpowerGroup Diversity Outlook Survey
Global capability centres seek to increase female representation in tech roles
Data from Quess Corp indicates that the presence of women in global capability centres (GCCs) has slightly increased to 30% in FY24 from 26.6% in FY20. However, there remains a significant gap in women's representation in mid and senior-level roles, leading to talent shortages. A report by Pure Storage and Zinnov reveals that only 6.7% of women hold executive positions in GCCs, with even lower representation at the senior level (15.7%).
Retail, ecommerce create job openings for freshers and experienced professionals
A recent report by GI Group Holding India reveals increasing job opportunities in retail and e-commerce, with retail seeking fresh hires and e-commerce targeting experienced professionals. Applications for retail jobs rose by 8% in 2023, driven by young talent aged 18-30. The logistics sector, crucial for delivery, is also thriving, especially in tier-1 cities.
MSMEs should build support fund for women to encourage their participation: Lohit Bhatia, Indian Staffing Federation
MSMEs should work towards increasing female workforce participation by making structural changes to their ecosystem, says Lohit Bhatia, President, Indian Staffing Federation (ISF).
India Inc embraces gender-neutral parental leave policies for inclusive work environment
India Inc revamps parental leave policies to support changing family structures and foster inclusion. Companies like Colgate-Palmolive and Hindustan Unilever introduce gender-neutral initiatives. Volvo Group and Standard Chartered enhance parental leave programs. Expert Mansee Singhal emphasizes economic benefits for organizations.
Corporate India's big push for diversity: Companies intensify efforts to recruit women from entry level
Corporate giants in India, such as RPG Group, Deloitte, Tata Steel, Amazon, and Zinnov, are doubling down on diversity by ramping up efforts to recruit more women from the ground up. Strategies include targeted campus hiring, incentivizing recruitment agencies to bring in high-potential female candidates, and creating networking platforms to link women with leadership. These initiatives aim to cultivate a diverse workforce from the start, fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation.
For India to shine, more and more girls must take up STEM: Isha Ambani
Isha Ambani advocates for increased female participation in STEM and technology careers, highlighting the need to bridge the gender gap and support women in leadership roles for India's technological advancement.
Job site Indeed cuts around 1,000 jobs in second layoff in two years
Indeed's layoffs were announced by chief executive officer Chris Hyams in a company memo. This development comes as the job listing platform grapples with a significant downturn in job postings and a cooling labor market.
DBS Bank India rolls out initiative to support women re-entering the workplace
The organisation has developed a six-month internship programme wherein shortlisted returnees will engage in projects and receive guidance from industry leaders within a supportive environment to enable a smoother transition back to work. The programme involves hands-on experience as well.
Companies shopping for workers floored by women
"There is a preference to hire women on assembly lines," said Lohit Bhatia, president of workforce management at leading staffing company Quess Corp. "Many automobile, EV and component makers as well as electronics and mobile manufacturers want to specifically hire women in roles that require precision work." Maruti Suzuki, MG Motor and Lumax among others are hiring an increasing number of female apprentices on the shop floor.
Firefighters, deep-sea divers & such: It’s a woman thing
Tata Steel's initiative to hire women firefighters for diversity echoes a broader trend in heavy engineering firms in India. Companies like Hindustan Zinc are increasing women representation in mining operations, aiming for gender diversity.
Women in tech workforce in GCCs to rise to 35% by 2027 from 25% now: Report
The rise of women in tech to 35% by 2027 in global capability centers, highlighting in-demand roles and challenges faced. Efforts are needed to bridge the gender gap and provide equal opportunities for women in tech.
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