BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022

AWARDS

“Diversity and inclusion are not only Reliance On Data joinees have to sign the anti-harass-
a cultural requirement but also a The organisation believes in con- ment policy at Fujitsu. “This policy
competitive advantage. To manage crete steps to actualise the vision, encourages employees to report
innovations, it is critical to have a starting with having concrete data. harassment, body shaming, racist,
diverse and inclusive workforce. Fu- Kale explains why it’s crucial to keep religious, or caste-specific slurs,
jitsu is focused on resolving societal track of employee demographic or any other wrongdoing based on
concerns through its business. Mu- data: “Many companies miss a fun- caste, colour, creed, or gender. We
tual compassion for your co-work- damental gauge for knowing how also hold training sessions for em-
ers and acceptance of different to improve their work environment ployees at least once a year in which
values are essential for creating an and foster a diverse and inclusive we teach employees what sexual
empathic and understanding mind- environment without key HR data harassment is, explain that they
set.” This is the driving force behind such as gender, age, ethnicity, lan- have a right to a workplace free of
the D&I initiatives of Fujitsu India guage, education, and more. Fujit- sexual harassment, review the com-
GDC, as articulated by Raghunath su is more concerned with having a plaint procedure and encourage
Kale, Director – HR, Fujitsu India picture of a wide range of high-qual- employees to use it, and educate
GDC, the winner of the Best Diver- ity HR data.” managers and supervisors about
sity Employer Award at the event. sexual harassment and how to han-
Kale shares, “Fujitsu is dedicated to This data then lends itself to dle complaints,” he adds.
being a responsible business that formulation of enabling policies,
brings varied perspectives and tal- programmes and facilities to em- Given the deep-rooted and age-
ents together in an inclusive work- ployees. “When it comes to provid- old societal notions, corporates of-
place where all our employees can ing services and facilities to our em- ten find it hard to change these, but
be fully themselves. GRiP — the ployees, we do not limit ourselves to Kale assures that the policies and
Global Delivery Responsible Busi- anything, as we not only consider framework are so engrained that
ness Programme — is leading the them as our employees but also as a there is no resistance at any level.
way to a better and more sustaina- part of the Fujitsu family,” Kale says,
ble future.” further describing the range of ini- Assessing The Impact
tiatives: sensitisation workshops/ And just as Fujitsu relies on data
Kale and his organisation are webinar, diversity & inclusion poli- as the starting point of D&I initia-
among those exemplary organisa- cy, sabbatical policy, CareNine and tives, it assesses the impact through
tions that are truly invested in di- CareNine Beyond, customised sup- bi-annual inclusive surveys called
versity and inclusion at workplace, port and guidance to women em- GLINT. Employees are “encouraged
and in creating safe and enabling ployees, transitioning leave, adop- to fill the survey which encompass-
environment for all, so that each tion leave and insurance benefits. es all the spectrums of workplace
employee can thrive and achieve ecosystem”. Kale shares, “We use the
their full potential. This is not only Asked how implicit societal survey to assess the impact as well
the right thing to do, it also benefits biases are tackled, and how har- as course-correct wherever neces-
the organisation in the form of more assment, casual remarks or body sary based on the feedback received
ideas, creativity and innovations. shaming based on caste, colour, from the internal stakeholders. In
creed, disability, income or gender terms of impact, our initiatives have
are dealt with, he informs that all helped create a more sustainable
workplace ecosystem for all where
“Fujitsu is dedicated to being a each individual can be themselves
responsible business that brings without any bias or judgement.”
varied perspectives and talents
together in an inclusive workplace As regards the way forward,
where all our employees can be Kale assures, “We will strive and
continue to foster inclusive and
fully themselves” diverse ecosystem for all. In our
commitment to enable our team
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 101 members in managing innovations
and effective business continuity we
shall continue to harbour better re-
lationships via regular manager and
leadership connects.” 

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OPENING ESSAY BY SUGANDH BAHL

Photograph by CANVA

From Being
Flamboyant To
Being Included

In1894,apoorlyshot17second was called Dickson Experimental benchmark.
experimental film shows two Sound Film, commonly labelled Conventional sexual behaviour
men dancing, holding each online as The Gay Brothers. It was
other “awkwardly”. This was shot to check the mixing of sound in between the same sexes was not
the first ever depiction of moving images by William Dickson. accepted on the silver screen
homosexuality that ran a stride of The experiment did not work but and was only used to typify
discomfort in the audience. The film the footage somehow became a homosexuality as a mental
illness. “Sissy” looking man or the
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 104
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

OPENING ESSAY

“hardboiled” woman in a film came in the drama series Made in Present Day Scenario
only to throw light on the negativity Heaven. Played by Arjun Mathur, The reason we are shedding some
as perceived by the white middle the co-lead’s character in the light on the history of homosexuality
class culture in the West. Amazon Prime show directed in cinema is to determine how far we
by Zoya Akhtar promises to be a have come in doing our own course
Similarly, how can we forget game-changer in the portrayal of correction — from heaping ridicule
our famous Kantaben from the LGBTQ persons in pop culture. upon them or maintaining a cold
iconic Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Naa Karan is intriguing and complex, distance to acceptance and speaking
Ho, where she perceived Shahrukh introspective and handsome. up for their rights. Today, post the
Khan and Saif Ali Khan to be gays. The 30-something event planner decriminalisation of Section 377
And in the movie, Pyaar Kia Toh devotes himself to his career, we are openly talking about their
Darna Kya, a character who has no parties with friends, enjoys his inclusion rights at workplaces.
name, no background, is asked to me-time, takes difficult decisions,
bowl and he begins to sway in the wears jeans and makes love — just Yes, indeed we have come a long
breeze and seduce the batsman of like anyone else. way!
Salman Khan’s competitive team.
Honestly, in 19th century, both Today we are openly working
There’s another unlikely hero Hollywood and Bollywood saw towards their seamless inclusion
in the Indian web television its queer characters as nothing within the workforce realm. Today,
landscape: Karan, a gay wedding but flamboyant, laughing stocks hiring is on the basis of talent
planner in Delhi, whose who were just there to establish a and not over someone’s sexual
professional and personal life twitchy note within the films. preferences.
makes for an engrossing subplot
In today’s workplace, ensuring

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 105 Photograph by CANVA

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

OPENING ESSAY

that diversity, equity and inclusion Legal Victory
efforts include individuals who are
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender › A landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in
and queer (LGBTQ), is essential for 2018 brought hope to the LGBTQ+ community
business success. Employers who
have inclusive practices for LGBTQ The Supreme Court of In- majority to recognise that ho-
individuals gain the support and dia, in September 2018, mosexuality is a completely nat-
respect of not only that community, decriminalised consen- ural condition, part of a range of
but also of other minority groups sual gay sex, on the grounds of human sexuality. The mis-ap-
that recognise the efforts as an right to privacy. The apex court plication of this provision de-
indicator of an overall inclusive held that right to privacy is “an nied them the Fundamental
work environment. intrinsic part of Article 21 that Right to equality guaranteed
protects life and liberty”. A five- by Article 14. It infringed the
The majority of individuals judge constitutional bench, Fundamental Right to non-dis-
today support the LGBTQ passing the judgment in the crimination under Article 15,
community and seek out places case of Navtej Singh Johar vs. and the Fundamental Right to
to work and spend their money Union of India, overturned its live a life of dignity and privacy
based on the diversity and 2013 ruling that had upheld the guaranteed by Article 21.”
inclusion practices of the company. British era law (Section 377 of
Employers see the positive impact the IPC) that had criminalised While this will go a long
in almost all aspects of business, gay sex as unnatural offence. way in empowering the com-
from employee recruitment and munity and providing them
retention to revenue and profits. Justice Indu Malhotra, access to government schemes
in her concurring judgment, and healthcare, etc, the law still
Struggles Ahead stated: doesn’t permit same-sex mar-
Having a written policy isn’t riage. While there is a strong
enough. Even if an employee is in “History owes an apology to opposition to the prospect,
a workplace with internal policies the members of this community there are now a large number
that protect LGBTQ workers, a and their families, for the delay proponents for legalising it,
company’s culture may inhibit em- in providing redressal for the including parliamentarians,
ployees from bringing their whole ignominy and ostracism that artists, lawyers, activists, and
selves to work. they have suffered through the members from the community,
centuries. The members of this who are fighting for the rights
A survey by LeanIn.org and community were compelled to that are available to couples to
McKinsey & Co. found that live a life full of fear of reprisal be extended to the same-sex
LGBTQ women are more than and persecution. This was on couples too. 
twice as likely as straight, cisgender account of the ignorance of the
women to feel that they cannot
talk about themselves or their life employees should also be required pronouns and speaking up when
outside work. The survey found to treat everyone with respect. someone is not being treated
that LGBTQ women who are open Organisations should define respectfully. This process is about
about their sexual orientation appropriate workplace behaviours changing employees’ workplace
at work are happier, view their that are consistent with the behaviours to be in accordance
workplaces more favourably and employer’s stated beliefs and values with the company’s expectations,
intend to stay longer than those about inclusion, such as using an not changing an employee’s
who are not open about their sexual individual’s preferred name and personal beliefs. 
orientation or gender identity.

An inclusive work environment
is one where all employees are
able to contribute and feel like
they belong; it does not require
that employees agree with another
individual’s lifestyle. Regardless of
how someone feels about another
person’s sexual orientation, all

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 106 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM



PRIDE ISSUE BY VASUDHA MUKHERJEE

PrinOcef Pride
› Manvendra Singh Gohil, Crown Prince of Rajpipla and his
husband, DeAndre Richardson, Duke of Hanumanteshwar celebrate
years of their marriage and talk about their journey, identity and
work in the LGBTQ+ community

DeAndre Richardson met his fu-
ture partner, Manvendra Singh
Gohil while working as a make-up
artist for Christian Dior in 2009.
Not knowing anything about the
crown prince, they began their friendship just by
talking on social media about apparel. Later he
learnt about Gohil’s global icon status. They finally
met in 2011, but Richardson would not realise his
feelings till the following year. In 2013, the couple
finally came together and things moved fast from
there.

“The older members of his [Gohil] family
recognised something very special within our re-
lationship.” Richardson shares. During this meet-
ing, Gohil’s grandmother and great-great uncle
encouraged him to marry Richardson. Richardson
goes on, “The older generation has a remarkable
way of weaving together relationships.” He was
presented with a ring and by the end of the week,
they would be married in a small ceremony with
Gohil’s family in attendance. “It started off as a
friendship, which got converted into a relation-
ship and I think these kinds of relationships are
stronger” states Gohil.

Education, Representation And Awareness
When it comes creating awareness and starting

Manvendra Singh Gohil, Crown Prince of Rajpipla

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 108 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

PRIDE ISSUE

DeAndre Richardson with Crown Prince Gohil LGBTQ+ community. “As the move- women who are married to queer
ment becomes stronger, we are men.
conversations around the subject of identifying and loving each other,
queerness, Gohil states that while while giving each other space, grace Future Of LGBTQ+ Community
he is proud of India’s rich heritage, and respect,” he affirms. Within India, Gohil and Richard-
sex education in India is lacking. son are both optimistic about the
He claims that it is not the people, Representation is also key for de-stigmatisation of LGBTQ+ cou-
but their ignorance along with lack any social change to take place. ples. Richardson believes that in
of awareness and education in the Gohil acknowledges that having a a country such as India, that has
country that contribute to bigot- trans person sitting in the Ministry perhaps the largest youth popula-
ry, intolerance, violation of human of Social Justice & Empowerment tion and one of the best, well-writ-
rights and discrimination. played a significant role in bringing ten constitutional documents in the
awareness on trans issues and start- world, it is inevitable for change to
Gohil points out that there is a ing Lakshya Trust. happen on a large scale. “I feel like
large gap between the country’s his- there is a lot of hope for the LG-
tory and people’s current views. He Lakshya Trust BTQ+ community” he says.
states, “India should be proud to Lakshya is an organisation started
have the world’s oldest sex encyclo- by Manvendra Singh Gohil as a cen- According to Gohil, the older
paedia (Kama Sutra) which open- tre of excellence in the field of sex- generations are far more accepting,
ly talks about homosexuality and ual health awareness. It is a public supportive and open minded than
transgenders”. These are not new charitable trust that primarily works we give them credit for; the youth
concepts. However, due to the stig- in spreading awareness and pre- are more socially aware than ever
ma surrounding it, people are afraid before. It is only the middle gener-
to come out and speak their truth. According to Gohil, ation that seems to have a problem,
Many are abandoned or disowned the older generations but that too can change with educa-
by families after coming out. Gohil tion, representation and awareness.
further elaborates that most of the are far more Gohil recalls what his grandmother
times members of the queer com- accepting, supportive told him on her deathbed: ‘I can
munity are forced to live a double now die in peace because I am no
life, often through marriage, which and open minded longer worried about you’. He fur-
ultimately spoils many lives. than we give them ther shares the response he received
from his people when he first came
DeAndre Richardson adds credit for out. They said: ‘You are our prince
that mixed-orientation marriages, first, that will never change’. The
where members of the queer com- vention of HIV/AIDS among MSM support and love that Gohil has re-
munity enter a hetero-normative (men having sex with men) and the ceived can be seen in the work and
marriage union to conceal the stig- GBT (Gay, Bisexual and Transgen- message he is now putting out into
matised sexual orientation of one or der) community in Gujarat. the world alongside his partner, De-
both spouses, have gone down with Andre Richardson. 
the increased discussion, accept- With its inception in 2000,
ance and support for and within the Lakshya began with government WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
funding and support during a time
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 109 when HIV/AIDS was rampant in
the country. The virus had begun
spreading in India during the mid-
1980s, largely affecting the trans-
gender and MSM population. It was
then that the government stepped
in and started working with organi-
sations that supported these vulner-
able groups.

The trust has now grown to in-
clude mental health support, age-
ing issues as well as counselling for

PRIDE ISSUE

“COMING OUT
INCREASES JOB
SATISFACTION”

› Zainab Javid Patel, Lead Inclusion & Diversity, Pernod Ricard
India, describes why the LGBTQ community should come out of the
closet and lead a meaningful life, in conversation with Sugandh Bahl

While several the corporate world. Excerpts from like me can bring their true authen-
big corporates an interview: tic selves to work, we are more pro-
have ushered ductive and engaged. And there are
in policies and Please take us through your journey several research works that show
created infra- of how important or how easy or that coming out at your workplace
structure to make the employees how difficult was it for you to reach increases job satisfaction, the inten-
from LGBTQ genuinely welcome this position? tion to stay and emotional support
and involved, biases and ignorance Today, more and more bigger busi- from co-workers. Whereas when
still prevail. Zainab Javid Patel, nesses are providing workplace pro- you stay in the closet, there are sub-
Lead Inclusion & Diversity, Pernod tections for LGBTQ people. And it’s stantial costs for the individual as
Ricard India, shares her journey in becoming clear that when workers well as for the company.

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PRIDE ISSUE

I must say that I am extreme- employee after me. The background We need to drop the
ly privileged because of being able verification was done sensitively.
to complete a higher education pretext that sexual
degree, having a masters degree, be- And when I joined, they not only
ing able to communicate with you allocated a long-time buddy, they orientation is a big
in a language that you understand. also made sure that I could see my-
The third part is that belonging to self grow in the organisation. deal. Once we do
the same professional workspace as
you has opened many doors for me, If the organisation is not able to that, you will realise
provided me many platforms, and show you a career growth, then it
your platform. Having said that, life creates apprehension. But I’m truly that this is a great
as a trans person has not been easy, glad that it’s been a standard prac-
and it’s not that I came directly from tice in my organisation to show the workforce to work
zero to point 100. For example, employees career paths. And I must
there were times when there was a say that I did not face any bullying. I with, as good or bad
name mismatch. Today, of course, felt people were welcoming.
all of my documents mention my le- in their work as any
gal name. So, if you are misgender- Why do you think that sexuality has
ing me you are doing it out of your become the main concern within other employee.
own ignorance. (There is a need to) organisations?
create a roadmap for the future be- Attitudes towards sexual orienta- realise that this is a great workforce
fore onboarding gender non-con- tion, or gender identity is a very to work with, as good or bad in their
forming, non-binary people and to complicated issue. Personal preju- work as any other employee.
research and use the right pronoun. dices, biases, and microaggressions
are still very strong. Now, in a coun- Sometimes when we hire from
In my case, they actually start- try that has decriminalised homo- diversity backgrounds, we set an un-
ed using the pronoun ‘de’ in order sexuality, we will still have a major- expectedly high standard of delivery
to make me feel comfortable. And ity of people who oppose same-sex from them, which automatically
then I had to correct them that I ap- marriage or marriage equality. A lot sets them on the device to fail. Why
preciate you using a gender-neutral of people who are cisgender hetero- do they need to do extra amount of
pronoun, but my pronouns are she, sexual may feel that LGBT workers work to prove themselves?
her and hers. So that was taken care should keep their ‘lifestyle choices’
of. Some of the unnecessary medi- to themselves. Regarding hiring procedure, would
cal onboarding steps were removed, you like to highlight any aspect that
not only for me but for every other I think we need to just drop the companies should adapt?
pretext that sexual orientation is a A lot of small- or medium sized
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 111 big deal. Once we do that, you will organisations depend on external
organisations or agencies for back-
ground verification checks. Sensitis-
ing your third-party vendor person-
nel is important. One has to keep
professionalism at an all-time high.
For example, when you do a house
check, make sure that you check
with the person, is this the right
time to visit? Or, is it okay to visit?

Then on day one, when the new
employee is being taken around,
make sure that the person is not
overwhelmed by the culture as
workspaces can be intimidating.

And I think, during the assess-
ment phase, if you’re specifically
looking at diversity candidates,
let’s not look at meritocracy as an
argument. If we were to use that
argument, we would never have had
reservations for women.

If we leave people who are left
behind to crawl back to the top of
the wall, where we think we have a
worldview of equality, that’s never
going to work. 

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

PRIDE ISSUE BY VASUDHA MUKHERJEE

PATNIIPDNMREETMIHDOIEFEC

› Fashion designer
and celebrity

Rohit K Verma
speaks about

Pride, pandemic
and the future

of the LGBTQ+
community in India

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PRIDE ISSUE

Fashion designer Rohit K Verma debuted in
Bollywood as a costume designer in 2007
with the film, Main Rony Aur Jony. He
would later appear in the film Fashion as an
actor in 2008. The following year, after par-
ticipating in the reality TV series Big Boss, Rohit Verma
gained global recognition for his representation of the
LGBTQ+ community.

Impact Of Pandemic

Verma did see his business suffer the pandemic. Wed-

dings were cancelled and budgets were cut and even

with things opening up again, Verma sees that custom-

er behaviour has been transformed. People are more brate love, gender equality and human beings. There is

cautious about how they spend their income post-pan- nothing bigger than humanity.” Verma admits that so-
demic than they were before. He states, “After coming
cial media has played a major role in this, but interviews
this far, having built your business over so many years,
with members of the LGBTQ+ community have also
to have that kind of disturbance all of a sudden can be
help spread the word regarding the Pride month and
quite demotivating. It also blocks the creativity of a
can play a significant role in helping people feel proud
designer.” He had no problem giving discounts and
of themselves, regardless of orientation or preferences.
did his best to accommodate his clients, as all business
Verma declares that Pride “is about love, not anybody’s
must change with the times. “It’s worldwide, every-
sexuality” and anyone is welcome to join in its celebra-
body’s business suffered but I guess it’s part and parcel
tion and hopes it can also spread to tier II and III cities.
of life,” he says.
Celebration and awareness
As a self-declared extrovert,
Verma speaks about the impact that “A lot of people came through social media can also help
parents, friend and community mem-
being confined to home had on him. out of the closet and bers have a better understanding. He

“We all were glued to our television started talking about reflects, “During the 1990s when the

sets and talking to our friends but their sexuality (during things were not so open, it was very
stepping outside home became a Covid)…. I believe that tough for us to talk to our parents”.
big thing; it transformed society”. every individual has got Pride month and social media have
However, not all changes were bad. played a large role in changing mind-

For the LGBTQ+ community, it was their limits and every set now, Verma says, adding, “Parents

a big time. “A lot of people came individual wants to feel are also becoming very liberal in their

out of the closet and started talking liberated” mindset, they’re accepting children
about their sexuality.” Verma believes for who they are. Children need to

that spending time with family and speak to their parents more about

getting to really know them allowed individuals to feel their happiness and about their mental peace. Commu-

comfortable enough to speak their truth. He adds, “I nication is vital to progress.”

believe that every individual has got their limits and

every individual wants to feel liberated.” Some people India Is Progressing
want to share their stories about coming out and others On a recent visit to Haridwar, Verma recalls wearing
do not, it’s all up to the individual, but there were more
accounts of these stories during the pandemic. a saree in front of 2,000 people. “While people looked

amazed, no one passed any mean comments or gave me

any dirty looks. You can see that India is transforming.”

Influence Of Social Media Representation online, on television and in movies is
Verma always knew that he loved design and fashion. now allowing people to accept and understand each
He was grateful to be able to follow his passion. “I’m other. Verma states that understanding yourself is the
very fortunate enough that lord Krishna has given me key to making the world a better place to live in.
the job which I love doing,” he states. He continues to
encourages people to live their truth, follow their heart Change is there for those paying attention. Verma
and be proud of who they are. optimistically adds, “Time is not very far when people
like us will also be respected in the Indian society.” The
While Pride month began as a western concept, it message he wants to spread is for everyone to respect
has quickly spread around India and continues to grow themselves and love each other as “love and the soul
in popularity year on year. He states, “In June, we cele- have no gender”. 

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PRIDE ISSUE / COLUMN SHILPA HARSH

Today, diversity and
inclusion (D&I) is
among the top prior-
ities for every organi-
sation. They’re doing
everything possible right from
inclusive policies, diverse hiring to
infrastructural changes, to become
diverse and inclusive. However,
there’s still a long way to go, espe-
cially in the context of the LGBT+
employees. According to a study
by Glassdoor, 4 out of 10 LGBT+
workers said they aren’t fully ‘out’
at work and half of those surveyed
said they feared being ‘out’ would
hurt their career prospects, from
getting passed over for a promotion
to even losing their jobs.

India was losing as much as 1.4
per cent of its national output when
homosexuality was not decrimi-
nalised, according to calculations
by University of Massachusetts
Amherst economics professor
Lee Badgett, who has studied the
issue for the World Bank. This is a
huge number and can’t be ignored.
Now, that homosexuality is legal
in India, it’s time we embrace the

ETHOS OF
PRIDE

› Every employee should feel safe and valued in an office
environment, in order to realise their full potential and contribute to
the growth story

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PRIDE ISSUE / COLUMN

Photograph by MAST3R true inclusivity. For example, if a that this kind of incidences never
company says — ‘All our policies occur again. The D&I trainings
LGBT+ community more than are inclusive’ — this means that the should be revisited and innovative
ever. These people are one of the organisation is transparent about modes of sensitisation should be in-
most untapped talents and need its policies. The maternity benefits troduced so that the employees are
to be included in the mainstream to a LGBT+ employee capable of aware of the sensitivities involved.
workforce. The LGBT+ candidates, bearing a child will be same as a
if given the right opportunity, can woman colleague, capable of bear- S: Sustain
perform as good as their peers in an ing a child. Transparency instils We must build a culture of behav-
organisation. Let’s understand how confidence amongst employees and iour change rather than attitude
organisations can further embrace it makes them feel valued. change to enable suspension of
and include the LGBT+ employees: unconscious bias. According to
H: Honour a recent research by the HRC
E: Empower I believe it’s high time to honour Foundation, a quarter of LGBT+
Organisations must create a culture customisation over standardisa- employees said they were distract-
where employees can bring their tion to embrace the uniqueness of ed from their jobs while working
true selves to work. The LGBT+ talent and perspective that every in an unwelcoming workplace, and
employees worry the most about employee brings to the table. In- 20 per cent said they would rather
their safety and acceptance at dividual uniqueness, distinctions, remain at home to avoid the nega-
workplace. Organisations must ideas, and methods of functioning tivity. Organisations should focus
therefore ensure a safe working must be embraced by leaders who on training and tools that can assist
environment to such employees. appreciate what makes individuals employees improve their actual
The safe workplace will make the special. Organisations must aim to behaviour, rather than trying to
LGBT+ employees feel empowered bring out the best in an employee change the unconscious prejudices
and valued. With such empower- and honour them with rewards and or views of employees. HR execu-
ment, employees are incentivised recognitions. Keeping all employ- tives, for example, might actively
to deliver their best all the time. ees engaged and honouring them engage employees in experiential
Increased productivity of the em- will make an organisation truly learning programmes to define
ployees will ensure better profits. inclusive. the behaviours that contribute to a
welcoming environment. Addition-
Every employee walking-in O: Observe ally, HR executives may develop
an office must feel safe, inclusive Setbacks within teams and organi- employee-driven guidance on
and valued by the company. It is sations for a holistically embedded particular norms, work practices,
not only the onus of the leadership culture must be carefully observed. and routines that employees can
or the HR department to ensure For example, if a sudden perfor- implement to improve team D&I
inclusive environment but every mance drop is being noticed in outcomes.
individual has a role to play. It a LGBT+ employee, the chances
has to be a collaborative approach are high that they must be facing Conscious and unconscious
after all. discrimination or other issues bias can result in loss of right
at workplace. In such cases, the talent but in this fierce talent war,
T: Transparent organisation must not only take organisations can’t afford to lose on
Organisations must treat all necessary actions but also ensure skilled talent due to bias. The need
employees alike. No policy/rule/ today is to focus on navigating the
infrastructure must be for select It is not only the onus of characteristic spirit of the compa-
people, it must be equal for all. This the leadership or the HR ny’s culture to seamlessly integrate
kind of transparency will bring in inclusion of LGBT+ community
department to ensure into their current personnel to
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 115 inclusive environment ensure that the values are applied
but every individual has consistently.

a role to play. It has About the author:
to be a collaborative The author is Senior Vice President –
Global Corporate Communications,
approach after all.
CSR and D&I, Hinduja Global
Solutions

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

INTERVIEW

“WE INVEST IN
YOUNG TALENT”

› In an interview with BW BusinessWorld, Rajesh Ganesan,
President, ManageEngine, talks about how they trained young talent

for a year and made them industry ready

You don’t get talent on the shelves; you have pany, where he did his internship, for 25 years. Excerpts:
to nurture it and retain it. Rajesh Ganesan,
President, ManageEngine, which operates How did you land in the profession? Has this always been
in the space of IT management softwares, your passion?
describes how he has stuck with the com- I finished my college in 1997, and in January 1997 I

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began my internship, which is when In the last 25 years, management. This is how I started,
I joined this company. People often after every two or and stuck with the company, where
ask me, why have I been working I’m responsible for the results that

for 25 years/26 years at the same three years, I have I produced. Nobody asked me any
company. The reason people switch questions. I know I’m bringing in the
companies is either because they get jumped on to a role results. And that kept me going.
bored of what they’re doing, or they that had nothing to
What is your say on the technology
want to try something different and do with the previous
there is some motivation. The same role. So, to me, it talent that India has?
happened with me too. was actually like I have many friends who are found-
jumping multiple ers and CEOs of startups. They ask
However, instead of jumping companies. me how to find talent that will con-
companies, I had the autonomy tribute from day one. That, in my be-
to try things I wanted to. I started lief, is not how you should approach
out as a programmer. In the last 25
talent. This is not something you
years, after every two or three years,
can pick up from the shelf. Talent is
I have jumped on to a role that had
nothing to do with the previous role. So, to me, it was something you have to nurture.
We are a company who will never complain about
actually like jumping multiple companies. Coming to
passion, when I was a developer, I got interested about lack of talent, because we truly believe we have it to cre-
all the manuals that the products would come up with, ate, nurture, and build talent. When I came into this

and because we’re one of the earliest product companies company as a fresher, I did not contribute from day one.

in India, I took a lot of interest in writing these manuals. All the things that I learnt, I did along the way.

I had a passion for writing. The other aspect is skill development. Talent devel-

I then jumped from there to customer support, opment is always contextual. I remember how, during

which I did full time for three years. I’ve been in product my earlier years in college, I studied papers like data

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 117 Photograph by TONODIAZ

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INTERVIEW

structures and computer networks. I remember asking because someone is working on incubation, they are not
my professors: ‘Can you open the computer and show left alone. And the entire team looks at what they are
me where there is a stack?’ Where were those layers of doing, how they are conversing with the team and how
networking that they would talk about and whether they they are collaborating.
were able to show in a way I could understand?” I’s only
when I started working in this company and had the What are the loopholes that as a country we are facing
freedom to explore, did I understand. Your classroom towards becoming more digitised?
education is often not contextual — like how you work We have to accept and embrace the fact that loopholes
with your team, how you understand your customer’s really exist. There cannot be a perfect system, you don’t
problem, and how you monetise the solution that you’ve set out to build a perfect system.
built. So, we believe in nurturing talent rather than ex-
pecting it to arrive from day one. There are stories like there was a protocol called
X.25. And there was TCP IP protocol. Both started at
So, our job description is simple. If you’re up for it, the same time. X.25 set out to build the perfect Internet
you can learn this domain. And if you can contribute, Protocol. But have you heard of them? TCP took the ap-
just come over. proach of doing things one day at a time and getting bet-
ter as they progressed. That should be the approach that
Moreover, we don’t assess and decide based on one we as a country should also take. Get access to technolo-
interview. We have the concept called incubation in our gy, and as many people as possible. I am very privileged
company where we let people work for four weeks to when it comes to technology because I’ve had education
six weeks. And the other thing that we do is, we look at and access to technology and I should help people with
all the conversations that these people are part of. Just some access to technology. This is how we can actual-

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INTERVIEW

ly create a country where all the even hit upon the idea of ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ offices. I’m
people have access to technolo- sure it must have been very difficult for people to work
gy and not by focusing on fixing from home in India because an average family lives in
loopholes. a two-bedroom apartment. That is especially true for
young people with families in cities like Chennai. There
Also, different people have is no way you could be productive at work from home.
different needs, they will use I’ve seen children struggle attending classes.
it in their own way & that will
show you the new problems to be So, wherever there were 15-20 people, we quickly set
solved. You have to let technolo- up an office. All that was needed was power and Inter-
gy evolve with its limitations and net, right? We put up these offices, where people could
loopholes. travel up to two to three kilometres and be able to work
from there. And also, this was the time our own Remote
You have a technological Endpoint Management software was used, because it
infrastructure, and people was one thing to put all these offices, but you also had to
are using it. How do you help comply with various analysations and comply with your
the team that delivers this company’s processes.
technology?
For businesses that leverage tech- We built all the software during the pandemic. We
nology as an enabler, you need hired more than 2,000 people — we collected their re-
to manage the technology infra- sumes, zoomed, conducted interviews online, we on-
structure. ManageEngine pro- boarded them online and also trained them online. So,
vides different softwares to make there are people who met their team physically only after
sure the service delivery levels more than a year of their onboarding. They were fresh
are good, to make sure the pro- out of college, they joined ManageEngine, and came to
cesses that the deal is completely a level of where they are contributing to the team. Trust
automated. The workflows are these young people. I always say the first year is on the
automated, and there is no man- company. It is only from the second year onwards that
ual intervention. And also, infor- you can even start to expect contribution from them. 
mation security is a very, crucial angle. You may have a
company of 2,000 people but all it takes is one executive WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
to have one ransomware infected in their laptop for the
entire business to go down. You have to be very proac-
tive. So, ManageEngine has the software that as soon as
a laptop has a security issue, it will immediately identify
and patch the issue. Look at every component in your
technology infrastructure, monitor it, manage it, reme-
diate it. So, this is the business we are in. Things were
initially on premises, but then moved to cloud. And we
also evolved our product to manage infrastructure that
is sitting both on premises and on the cloud.

How did the pandemic treat the company? What was the
response?
In the beginning, it was challenging and that is when we

Trust these young people. I
always say the first year is on
the company. It is only from
the second year onwards that
you can even start to expect

contribution from them.

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 119

SPECIAL STORY BY SUGANDH BAHL

NEW WAGE CODE: WHAT’S
NEW FOR EMPLOYEES?

› Within the framework of legislation, the new laws accommodate

the minimum wage requirements and welfare needs of unorganised

sector workers, including those who are self-employed and workers
Over the years, the Government of India and
several State Governments have been tak- pliance for employers, while providing social security for
ing various measures to promote the ease all workforce.
of doing business in India. The four new-
There is a high possibility that the Centre will imple-
ment its four Labour Codes on Wages, Social Security,

ly proposed Labour Law Codes – Wages, Industrial Relations, Occupational Safety, Health and

Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Working Conditions in the near future. According to the

Safety, Health and Working Conditions – are designed to earlier plans, the Codes were to be implemented by April

facilitate the ease of compliance, increase openness and 2021, but as labour is a contemporaneous subject, both

accountability and create employment opportunities, the Centre and states had to notify rules under these four

making it easier to conduct business in the country. Codes for them to take effect.

India is slowly edging towards a new era in labour Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav expressed that re-

and employment law. The new Labour Codes are aimed cently 90 per cent of the states have already drafted rules

at simplification of the current labour laws and promot- for the four Codes.

ing digitisation, and thereby easing the burden of com- During 2019 and 2020, 29 central labour laws were

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SPECIAL STORY

merged, rationalised, and simplified: the Code on Wag-

es, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code

on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety,

Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Within the

framework of legislation, the new laws accommodate the

minimum wage requirements and welfare needs of unor-

ganised sector workers, including those who are self-em-

ployed and workers.

According to Vidur Gupta, Director, Spectrum Tal-

ent Management, “The newly enacted Labour Codes are

29 central labour laws combined into 4, and focus on an Photograph by INDIAPICTUREBUDGET

array of reforms relating to wages, social security (pen-

sion, gratuity), labour welfare, health, safety and working vacation. If the employee’s work exceeds the 48 hours

conditions (including that of women). With the imple- required, then overtime should be paid.

mentation of the same, there will be a drastic change in
EPF contribution of an employee, work timings, as well • According to the new Wage Code, employers must
make final settlements with employees within two
as take home salary & leave encashment. This simplifi-
days of the last work. The complete payment of sala-
cation is a part of a maturing labour economy and will
ries and dues is currently made 45 to 60 days after the
make things more uniform and easier to implement.”
employee has left his or her job.
The implementation of any new law brings its own
Commenting upon a survey con-
challenges. As per the industry reports,
ducted by Karnataka Employers’ Asso-
organisations are both concerned and The basic salary for ciation and BCP Associates on New La-
intrigued since the Codes have the po- employees will have bour Codes, Pratik Kumar, CEO, Wipro
tential to boost employee costs and
compliance expenditures. It not only to be 50 per cent of Infrastructure Engineering & Executive
Director, Wipro Enterprises, stated,
affects the bond between employers and the growth salary as “The changes that the four Codes are
employees but also impacts the achieve- per the new Code. expected to bring about have been long
ment of organisational objectives and This will result in a overdue and it has been an industry
goals. But the real question is – are all reduction in their ‘ask’. The Codes aim to enhance social
the industrial sectors prepared to adapt
and adjust to these new Labour Codes? take-home pay but security of the workforce and guide im-
an increase in their plementation of labour law compliance.
And what do these Codes entail? The Codes will cut down on significant
systemic complexities and help accel-
Decoding the Codes PF contributions.

• If implemented, the four Codes will erate economic growth. On their part,

fundamentally change industrial firms’ practices, organisations need to revisit their HR policies and relook
treating their employees as working hours, taking at their employee compensation structure. They have to
home salaries, and other rights. In the wake of the conduct their own impact analysis and critically look at
new Wage Code, there will be significant changes to their own compliance practices.”
the way basic pay and Provident Funds (PF) are cal-
Commenting on the study findings, Ritobrata Sarkar,
culated for employees.
Head of Retirement, WTW India, said: “Organisations
• There would be a substantial impact on take-home are gradually coming out of the pandemic survival mode
pay, but it would also increase retirement savings, and focusing on issues such as the long-term implica-
which some employers are opposed to because it may tions of retirement adequacy and employee benefits. Our
increase the cost of hiring employees.
study shows that the retirement benefit landscape in
• The basic salary for employees will have to be 50 per India is evolving, with organisations retaining superan-
cent of the growth salary as per the new Code. This nuation as an option in addition to promoting NPS.”
will result in a reduction in their take-home pay but
While both these avenues co-exist, it will be critical
an increase in their PF contributions.
for organisations to consider the regulatory environ-
• As a result of the new law, the company will allow ment, flexibility for employees, cost-benefit analysis and
the employees to work for four days a week instead most importantly, employee experience as they review
of five, but in that case, the working hours will be in- their long-term employee benefits strategy and mix. That
creased from 9 to 12 as they must meet the 48-hour said, NPS continues to be a focus area with a large ma-
weekly work target. The implementation of four days jority exploring strategies to increase employee partici-
a week will provide the employees with three days of pation rates. 

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INTERVIEW BY SUGANDH BAHL

“WE NEED BOTH A TOP-
DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP

APPROACH”

› Company leaders play a critical role as employees
look to leaders to exemplify behaviour, says Richard
Lobo, Executive Vice President and Head of HR at

Infosys, in an interview to BW People. Excerpts:

Infosys has instituted well as enjoying what they do.
several programmes to Having a diverse workplace
attract the best talent, cre-
ate a diverse and inclusive improves the quality of work and
workplace and to ensure brings out the best in every em-
a safe, and harassment-free ployee. Allowing for diversity to
environment. Richard Lobo, Ex- become an integral part of your
ecutive Vice President and Head people strategy fosters better
of HR at Infosys talks at length understanding among employees
about all these initiatives, laying and increases the pool of innova-
emphasis on Infosys’ iPride tive ideas. As we move ahead, the
initiative. workplace will evolve, progress
and advance — not just in terms
What are Infosys’ views on a of technology, but also in terms
diverse and inclusive culture as a of its humanness. At Infosys, we
driver of productivity at work? believe in a diverse workforce
Our view is that helping our where employees feel comforta-
employees belong to Infosys irrespective of individual ble and contribute irrespective of
differences is crucial to the diverse, inclusive workplace differences. We feel that this is important both from the
we are building for today and for the future. Our goal perspective of the core values the company is founded
is to create a workplace culture that will ensure every on, as well as an imperative to drive business value. We
employee shows up authentically, as their full selves, also view a diverse workforce as a huge advantage to
in a professional setting contributing to the purpose as the organisation and the employees. To attract the best
talent and create a diverse and inclusive workplace, the
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INTERVIEW

Representative Image Photograph by INDIAPICTUREBUDGET

company has instituted several programmes to create » iPride ERG comprises members of the LGBTQ
an inclusive, safe, and harassment-free workplace. The community and their allies. It provides the support
diversity initiative at Infosys adopts a multipronged ap- framework to strengthen learning and awareness
proach comprising emotional assistance, infrastructure and institutionalise policies and practices within
support and inclusive policies to help all our employees the organisation for a safe and respectful work
achieve career and life goals. environment for employees from the community.
The intent is to bring employees from the commu-
What are some of the initiatives Infosys has in place to nity together to have a dialogue on various internal
ensure that there is a culture of diversity and inclusion at processes and policies that affect them. The focus
the workplace? at Infosys is to ensure that employees have a safe
At Infosys, we look at encouraging multiple Employee and harassment-free workplace, irrespective of their
Resource Groups (ERG) that encourage employees sexual orientation or gender identity. The ERG gives
to participate in fostering a diverse and inclusive employees a platform to come together and discuss
workplace aligned with our purpose. In addition, we matters of importance. Our initiatives consist of cre-
also look at taking up specific initiatives that will help ating awareness and sensitivity, training employees,
progress towards our larger goal of having a workplace fostering, and encouraging networks where employ-
that encourages participation and innovation from all. ees can find common ground.
Some examples:
» Infyability is yet another employee resource group
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INTERVIEW

(ERG), for employees with disa- next set of leaders. Some examples: (AHA) and emerging me
bility that aims to create a safe, » Women in Management (WIM) (EMME).
accessible and inclusive work » #IamTheFuture is a programme
environment. It addresses is an immersive, three-day, organised by Infosys Leader-
specific needs towards recruit- residential workshop focusing ship Institute that is focused on
ment, development, engage- on building competencies in training women for leadership
ment, growth and retention self, teams, clients, and busi- roles and accelerating their
of employees with disability ness. Owing to the pandemic, readiness for these roles. It
by promoting an inclusive this intervention was conducted fosters an inclusive ecosystem
workplace where the skills and virtually this year and saw over and culture. Designed as a year-
knowledge of each employee are 100 women participating in long programme, in partnership
valued and respected. various batches. Additionally, with Stanford University, it
special facilitator-led workshops provides holistic development
We are also investing in learn- for women included striking the opportunities for our women
ing interventions for our employees right balance, emotions at work, leaders globally.
that look forward to creating the power play, inclusive manager, » Orbit Next is our programme to
accelerating her achievements

Photograph by INDIAPICTUREBUDGET

Representative Image WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 124

INTERVIEW

strengthen the talent pipeline of The diversity ters Club globally. The club
women in middle management. initiative at has received great feedback
Over 150+ women are part of Infosys adopts from employees and focuses on
this programme currently and a multipronged building communication and
these efforts have seen women approach leadership skills of its members.
advancing in their careers with comprising
us. Our overall women rep- emotional What role does leadership play in
resentation in the workforce is assistance, fostering and nurturing a diverse
increasing consistently. infrastructure and inclusive environment at work?
» We run regular communication support and Our learning has been that for us
campaigns, conduct workshops, inclusive policies to succeed in our endeavour of
talks with experts, etc. to pro- to help all our developing a diverse and inclusive
mote awareness about diversity employees achieve workplace, we need both a top-
in the workplace. We have three career and life down and bottom-up approach.
robust courses on how to be We first had our leadership team
a good ally to the LGBTQIA+ goals. to fully support and encourage our
members and we communicate ERGs. All our employee groups
regularly about these courses to the participation from across levels have a senior leader as the execu-
all our employees. in the organisation. tive sponsor and a full participant.
» We have also looked at a This encourages more employees
specific programme to encour- How has this initiative impacted to join as members or allies. Also, it
age more women to join the the organisation? Please highlight helps the members of the group to
workforce. Restart with Infosys a few benefits of the initiative such aim for higher goals and smoothens
was launched in 2018 to focus as this. impediments that might slow down
on hiring women from career Collaborations with the iPride ERG the progress. Company leaders play
breaks, which could be for any have enabled us to roll out impor- a critical role as employees look
duration and any reason. The tant interventions across our India to leaders to exemplify behaviour
programme includes a compo- operations including: as well as set direction. For estab-
nent of learning and competen- a. Gender-neutral washrooms: lishing a truly inclusive culture, we
cy building, strong mentoring need both leadership involvement
and working on client projects Gender-neutral washrooms as well as actions that go beyond
to give these women the sup- across all our India campuses words.
port and confidence required to and some of our offices around
transition back to their careers. the world. How do you see iPRIDE
b. An enhanced Health Insurance collaborating with other ERGs at
Why is it important to have Plan for our employees based in Infosys?
India: The plan covers partners It’s important for us that various
such groups/communities in an (same-sex, domestic, civil) as ERGs collaborate with each other
dependents, gender conforma- to maximise the impact and inclu-
organisation? tion surgeries, coverage for sur- sivity of their efforts. For example,
We believe it is important to have rogacy, egg freezing procedures we encourage employees to become
ERGs as they connect people and and mental health therapy. members of multiple groups as
increase understanding. This helps c. Leadership skills development allies. We also invite wider audi-
build trust and a sense of belong- platform: Recently we launched ences for discussions relating to
ing and encourage those who the virtual iPRIDE Toastmas- workplace issues or for learning
might otherwise feel marginalised about the challenges faced. Most
to come forward and contribute of our professional development
to the company. Having such programmes are open to a wider
groups is the first step in acknowl- audience so that they are inclu-
edging diversity and increasing sive. We also aim to connect the
our learning about differences. groups to plan events together – for
Through these learnings, we have networking, pooling of resources as
been able to drive change towards well as increasing effectiveness. 
improving the workplace as well
as our culture. This is a continuing WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
journey, and we are encouraged by

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 125

INTERVIEW BY SUGANDH BAHL

“FLTEHXEIBKILEIYT”Y IS

› Mohinish Sinha, Leader – Diversity and Inclusion, Deloitte India,

describes why inclusive, supportive organisations gain a competitive

advantage across parameters as against lagging organisations

Deloitte recently released the India edition get ahead. The third top reason is that the organisation
of Women@Work report and Mohinish will care less about them – the highest concern for the
Sinha, Leader – Diversity and Inclusion, 18-25 cohort, an age where they’re still learning and fear
Deloitte India, discussed with BW Peo- that ‘out of sight’ will become ‘out of mind’. Experiencing
ple their ‘ability to switch off from work’. microaggressions, such as those shown here (pg 127,
This is on the basis of additional data that was collat- top), also plays a role in the ability to switch off.
ed post the launch of W@W report and it provides de-
tailed overview on the issue of switching off from work Being excluded from meetings is a fear much more
amongst women in workforce. prevalent amongst women who have experienced mi-
croaggressions, showing that they expect it to happen
Why are the burnout levels largely experienced by as a kind of behavioural pattern. Something worrisome
is that irrespective of whether they have faced microag-
women in middle management roles and younger gressions or not, the figure for this parameter is consist-
ent for feeling that their career progression will get im-
women?
Middle management, both men and women, are a
stressed lot in general. They juggle multiple expectations
involving coordination, reporting, alignment, managing
teams and keeping stakeholders abreast. it’s no surprise
that most middle managers report higher stress. Usu-
ally, there is a higher churn at these levels. Within this,
women find it worse as in many cases, the responsibility
of managing the home or being care givers to their fam-
ily also falls disproportionately on them, in addition to
their work role. That tips the balance and they experi-
ence a higher burnout. It’s no surprise that 37 per cent
want to leave work since they feel they are burned out.

What is the fear amongst most women who report WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
difficulty switching off from work?
Forty-two per cent women in India say that they feel their
career progression will be impacted if they switch off.
It’s quite interesting that women across all age groups
feel this way. This is followed by the fear of being ex-
cluded from important projects. Here, it’s the 26-38 age
group that feels the strongest, perhaps because they’re
at a growing stage of their career with a lot to prove and

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 126

INTERVIEW

pacted if they switch off. This is something that needs to women colleagues. The Women@Work report clearly
be addressed through sufficient checks and balance that displays that inclusive, supportive organisations gain
filter out the impact of individual unconscious biases at a competitive advantage across parameters as against
the time of promotion decisions. lagging organisations. Some of the policy initiatives that
could be introduced are:
How can we improve working conditions for women? Are • Flexible working hours, days, place, etc. could be
there any specific policy changes that can be considered
by corporates in India? considered. Flexibility is the key.
It is critical that corporates work towards a healthy work • Special well-being leaves considering the men-
environment, especially keeping in mind the needs of
tal, emotional, spiritual, and physical health of the
workforce. Keeping in mind the stigma attached to

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INTERVIEW

mental health related issues in workplaces, availing ists in 38 per cent Indian organisations, the 2022 results
such categories of leave should not entail any prob- showed that Indian women professionals have the low-
ing questions/judgements est reporting amongst all surveyed countries for 8 out 15
• Senior leadership should create a culture where it surveyed non-inclusive behaviours.
is okay to take days off to recharge, follow a hobby,
or go on extended holidays, without being judged or Is educational inequality a reason for women to feel a
questioned. certain way in their workforce compared to men?
The Women@Work survey from 2021 captured what Not at all. Women are at par with men in terms of ed-
kind of initiatives organisations had already imple- ucation, at least amongst the Gen Zs, and to a high ex-
mented, and where there was room for improvement. tent, amongst millennials. While educational equality
However, corporates must remember that having these is in the hands of the employee, compensation equali-
initiatives in place is only the start. Words need to trans- ty is something that the employer can ensure. Unequal
late into action. Therefore, many of the initiatives that pay for equal work is not acceptable and will instantly
appear to very widespread remain causes for concern mean that your women professionals are not invested.
amongst women professionals. Gender-pay equity should be a leadership priority and
For example, while the chart below shows that a clear organisations who truly value the contributions of all
process for reporting discrimination and harassment ex- genders should periodically invest in pay equity studies

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INTERVIEW

that can identify and rectify gaps, if any. ping 90 per cent of Indian women respondents, as well

as worldwide believed that flexible working options will

Is proper supervisory support given to women at their not entail a corresponding adjustment in their workload

workplace for work-life balance? and 94 per cent of both cohorts felt that such flexible

This isn’t often the case in lagging organisations. Seven- working options will affect their chances at a promotion.

ty-five per cent women in India working for organisa- An interesting insight from the survey is that amongst

tions that are gender equality laggards rated their work- those who have household responsibilities, work life

life balance as poor or very poor versus just 18 per cent is extremely poor/poor for women who have adult

of those in gender-equality leaders. caregiving responsibilities (62 per cent) versus childcare

It is very useful to have proper coaches and men- responsibilities (47 per cent). This could be because a lot

tors assigned to women to help them meet their career of effort taken by organisations is towards alleviating the

aspirations and yet have a healthy work-life balance. Go- burden of childcare responsibilities specifically.

ing beyond HR and inclusion teams or firm leadership,

support can also come from on-ground working groups How is Deloitte playing an enabling role for its women

who keep a close watch on factors that are hampering employees to help them switch off their work timely and

women professionals from thriving and help co-create adhere to family responsibilities?

the organisation’s resources to alleviate these concerns. We are extremely proud of our women colleagues and

Whoever looks into this, there can- value the diversity of thought that

not be a one-size-fits-all approach. all groups bring to the table. At

The survey tells us that the issues Deloitte, our senior leaders regu-

that women professionals face are The burden to be larly communicate the importance
different across age-groups, career available all the time of switching off from work to cele-
levels, caregiving responsibilities, brate life and to take care of their

and other differentiating factors. from anywhere and mental and physical health. Even
What kind of policies have been put inability to switch before the pandemic, we have had
flexible work timings and now, pro-

into effect for working women? off from work is fessionals are empowered to men-

We believe many corporates are leading to increased tion their standard working hours
putting in extra effort these days stress, burnout, and in email signatures and update this
to help their women colleagues. in their digital calendars, so that

Better parental leave policies, ex- loads of mental their stakeholders plan deliverables
tended allowances for childcare, health problems. accordingly.
availability of creches around office
Promotion decisions consider a

locations, flexible working hours/ wide variety of perspectives to en-

days, hybrid working, training sure that unconscious biases, if any,

programmes to upskill/reskill af- from any one person, do not affect

ter maternity leave, and sabbaticals, are a few examples the growth prospects of talented professionals. Factors

provided by gender equality leaders. like reduced working hours/days, parental leave and

other priorities are not considered as hampering pros-

Is working from anywhere creating a ‘double burden pects – the focus is on quality of outcomes instead of

syndrome’ for Women@work? quantity of output.

Yes, everyone must have encountered this conversation We have working groups in each business looking

over the past two years at some point. Working for home into the unique needs of women professionals, be it

in a situation where many women shoulder a dispropor- work-life balance, stress, or others, and many of the sug-

tionate share of household work and caregiving respon- gestions of these working groups have been successfully

sibilities means that focusing on a work project can get implemented.

difficult. The burden to be available all the time from Additionally, we have flexible and hybrid working

anywhere and inability to switch off from work is lead- policies to supplement all the support we can provide

ing to increased stress, burnout, and loads of mental to working women such as collaboration with good day-

health problems. care centres, childcare allowances, special learning pro-

Some organisations did reinforce measures to allevi- grammes for mothers, parental leave policy, happiness

ate this, such as flexible hours, virtual workshops to keep time-offs, etc. Our year-end block leave from Christmas

children engaged, and sensitisation trainings. However, to New Year has always been a great help to our people

those bring out their own issues. For example, a whop- to recharge. 

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 129 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

INTERVIEW BY SUGANDH BAHL

“AFTERNOON NAPS
HELP BOOST MEMORY”

› Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Director and Co-Founder, Wakefit.
co, talks about the importance of employee-centric policies,
including the right to nap

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 130 Wakefit.co, a company into home fur-
nishings and ergonomic solutions,
has announced Right to Nap Policy
for its employees and takes immense
pride in this initiative. Chaitanya
Ramalingegowda, Director and Co-Founder, describes
how this will go a long way in enhancing creativity and
productivity. Excerpts:

What according to you would be the impact of a 30
minute nap policy?
Over the past two years, we adapted to the new world
order of work. This entailed a transition to a hybrid work
format, which is where we became cognizant of the dire
need to create a conducive culture for our workforce.
The tenets that we laid for this were to focus on and em-
power the holistic wellbeing of our employees and build
their sleep affinity, considering that we are in the busi-
ness of sleep. Research shows that afternoon naps help
in boosting memory, concentration and creativity. That
is when we conceptualised our Right to Nap Policy. We
led with the belief that our 30-minute nap policy will
play a pivotal role in helping our employees recharge
and re-centre themselves.

Wakefit.co is a people-centric organisation, and we
believe that this initiative will make our employees feel
valued and empowered. Our Right to Nap policy will
contribute towards emphasising the importance of sleep
positivity and health, while helping our employees en-
hance their job productivity and efficiency. We hope that
our policy will motivate other organisations to imple-
ment this in practice, and initiate a 30-minute nap poli-
cy that focuses on employee wellness at their core.

Where did you get inspiration from for this policy and

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

INTERVIEW

one. Taking the rigours
and daily rush surround-
ing work into account,
we have been working
towards enabling quiet
areas for our employees
to relax and utilise their
right to nap at work.

How far have you

succeeded in creating

cosy pads and quiet

rooms within your office

space? Also, what has

been the feedback from

your employee regarding

this policy?

We have received an over-

whelming response and

continue to receive im-

mense positive feedback

with what aim have you incorporated the same? from our employees on this initiative. From the day we

We announced our Right to Nap policy, enabling our announced this policy, our employees have affirmed the

employees to take a nap between 2 to 2:30 pm every need for an initiative of this nature, and have showcased

day, after having examined reports from a NASA study their appreciation across social media as well. Their re-

which revealed that a 26-minute nap can enhance per- sponse to this policy and its implementation has been

formance by 33 per cent, as well as a Harvard study truly humbling and we are proud to have created a co-

which shows how naps prevent burnout. Our employees hesive work environment that promotes sleep positivity.

have the freedom to decide how they want to utilise their

30-minute break, be it to take a quick nap, meditate, or How do you think such policies will benefit in

spend some time to read, or re-centre themselves. All productivity of the employees? Do such policies also

our calendars have been blocked to reflect 2 to 2:30 pm help in retaining talent or is it just a matter of tokenism?

as our official nap time. Beginning from establishing a sleep

Our aim is to instil a sense of pride lab at our factory to introducing indus-

and belonging among our employees. Our employees try-first initiatives such as our Sleep In-
We believe that policies of this manner have the freedom ternship programme, to launching our
that have an out-of-the-box, creative ap- to decide how they landmark Right to Nap Policy, we have
peal make employees feel more connect- want to utilise their always led with a culture that champi-
ed and inspired about their work. Over ons creativity and divergent thinking.

and above the need to prioritise the 30-minute break, It is with this approach that we have
wellbeing of our workforce, we incor- be it to take a quick been able to spark zeal and enthusiasm
porated this policy with the hope that it nap, meditate, spend among our employees, while ensuring
will spark conversations on the need for some time to read, or that we keep ourselves motivated and
sleep wellness and demystify the taboo re-centre themselves. inspired.
surrounding sleep.
We believe that policies like this can

go a long way in giving employees an

While people require a steady and soft environment that is conducive to their

base to lie down, would you also be open to having holistic growth. Not only do they help in breaking the

napping furniture within your office space? What is your monotony but they also create immense potential for
thought about the same? fresh ideas and creativity to stem. Thus, these policies

In line with our Right to Nap policy, we have set up ded- play a vital role in not just retaining the talent pool,

icated nap rooms at our workplace. We are also working but also encouraging the workforce to whole-heartedly

towards creating cosy nap pods and quiet rooms in our contribute towards the growth and progress of their

office to build the perfect nap environment for every- organisation. 

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 131 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

40UNDER40 2021

CREATING ‘EMPIRES’ the New Millennium. Our ex-Prime
OF THE MIND Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh has
said that “empires of the future will
› Ankit Sharma, Dy General Manager be the empires of the mind” which
HR, PepsiCo - Varun Beverages Ltd, on the recognises the importance of skill &
role of human capital in India’s economic ability of the people in determining
growth, and the role HR plays in it the future of any country.

Astrong Indian econo- that is driving the growth of econo- Similarly, the success of ‘Make in
my has always been a my further by utilising the ever-ex- India’ project aimed at exponential
result of focus on in- panding workforce (with varied re- growth of Indian manufacturing
vestment in technol- quirements) optimally, building the industry has been significantly at-
ogy, robust industrial skillsets and potential of its people tributed to its human resources, in
growth, well-built infrastructure, as well as enhancing their produc- terms of selecting right talent out of
natural resources, employment tivity, in turn contributing towards a billion+ pool, utilising resources
opportunities, per capita income, a high GDP growth. effectively, developing their capabil-
foreign investments, inflation and ity and running its day-to-day op-
various other factors. While, India The Former President of India, eration while engaging & retaining
is gradually moving towards be- Dr APJ Abdul Kalam identified our employees. It has created a win-win
coming an economic superpower, it human resource base as one of the situation not only with develop-
is the human capital of the country greatest core competencies in his ment of experienced people but also
book titled, India 2020: A Vision for towards generating employment in
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 132 various sectors like construction,
automobile, aviation, chemicals,
biotechnology etc.

The potential of our country
with about 1.4 billion people is huge,
with majority being young lot but
utilising the talent pool with varied
demographics and work preferenc-
es, to become an economic asset, is a
challenge. The management of such
a huge talent pool is what differen-
tiates us from the other developed
countries, which is where the job of
HR Department comes in.

Crisis Management

The way pandemic has affected the
world has clearly showcased that
the theory of Charles Darwin on
survival of the fittest still prevails.
Due to the constant changes these
crises bring in our work life, HR’s
role further emerges to lead and de-
velop leaders who can also build its
workforce as future ready to come
out of any form of crisis strongly.

It’s about developing an envi-
ronment of respect, care & com-
passion where the HR ensures all
employees issues are heard, mon-
itored and resolved by proactively
reaching out to them to understand
their challenges, thereby living the
organisational values. 

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

40UNDER40 2021

TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST

› Ankur Sharma, Head-HR, Aye Finance, talks about the efforts that

his team has been putting in to make the organisation’s functioning

effective and efficient

For Ankur Sharma, the they know they themselves are on and the confidence to roar. Here,
HR Head of Aye Fi- the developmental journey with the intelligent mistakes are accepted,
nance, the main driving organisation, they will hit it every and initiatives are expected. Aye
force is “the desire to single time.” is an organisation that has made a
set up a people func- deep positive impression on finan-
tion that churns out highly capable Sharma is grateful to his organ- cial inclusion of the marginalised
talent for an organisation which isation for his own growth, and for MSMEs. This social cause resonates
aspires to be admired as the best by bringing out his full potential. He with my core values and inspires me
its shareholders”. says, “Aye has given me the freedom to aspire for more.” 
to experiment, resources to deploy
“Productivity, proactive skill-
ing and all-round wellbeing are
the three pillars that make growth
sustainable for any organisation.
We maintain the maximum level of
transparency between employees
and the organisation. Transparent
communication instils trust on an-
other level, and the notion of job se-
curity plays a very big role in a per-
son’s performance and efficacy in
an organisation. Hence, we ensure
that we provide a secure and high-
growth career to our people, in a fair
and transparent manner,” he says.

Many organisations have situa-
tions when employees’ concerns are
contrary to organisational goals and
solving this tangle become critical.
But Sharma says, “Employee care
is no rocket science. All one needs
is the desire to hear the problem,
empathy to understand it and most
importantly, the sense of urgency to
solve it. While many HR profession-
als excel at the first two aspects, they
miss out on the last one. When peo-
ple know their concerns are heard
and addressed, they commit to the
organisational cause and everything
else happens in due course.”

He further adds, “If employees
are physically and mentally healthy,
they can hit the Bullseye. And if

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 133 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

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40UNDER40 2021 DIVYA SRIVASTAVA

CHRO for GE Healthcare South Asia

PRIDE IN THE
LEADERSHIP ‘FACTORY’

› Srivastava feels happy to be in a place that provides her diverse

opportunities, pushing her limits

A masters in personnel skills. “I love taking on challenges scope, and complexity. My experi-
management and to test my limits and push the ences in the last decade at GE are
industrial relations boundaries for myself,” she de- exceptional and I am truly proud
from Tata Institute scribes herself. of the ‘leadership factory’ that GE
prides itself in.”
of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Divya In this context, GE has been a
“dream run” for her. “GE has been Employee Engagement
Srivastava enjoys working in an en- a fantastic learning ground for me,
providing me with international ex- Her goals being in sync with her
vironment that thrives on change, periences and diverse roles of scale, organisation, she describes, “We are
on our way to building GE Health-
creativity and challenge and that care South Asia as a great place to
work. To get there, we are razor fo-
provides opportunities to learn new cused on two aspects – our people
experience and our ability to build
ourselves as a talent powerhouse.”

Confident of the organisation
transitioning to the next normal,
Srivastava says, “Employee engage-
ment in a hybrid world and leader-
ship resilience are the top-of-mind
challenges for us, not just for us at
GE but also for the industry at large.
A simple code that encompasses
our current approach is: Listen-In-
volve-Support. We have ensured we
connect with people through mul-
tiple forums and pulse surveys to
understand their views. We have in-
volved and empowered our employ-
ees to make decisions and create
their work charters and schedules
that helps them transition smoothly
to the hybrid way of working. Last
but not the least, we are commit-
ted to support our employees with
new-age policies and processes to
support them in the post pandemic
world.” 

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 135 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

SPOTLIGHT / MYNTRA OFFICE BY SUGANDH BAHL

THE MYNTRA
OF EMPLOYEE
COMFORT &
CREATIVITY

› The new office of Myntra makes a statement about
its core business, speaks to its youthful employee base
and provides stimulating work environment

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 136 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

SPOTLIGHT / MYNTRA OFFICE “The comfort and wellbeing of
our employees is paramount
New space for new beginnings, is the
message that the new Myntra office because we believe that people’s
sends out. The new office, spread across creativity and ingenuity depends
a total area of 3 lakh sq.ft. on the Outer
Ring Road at Kadubeesanahalli, Ben- a lot on the environment that
galuru, had been planned before Covid, but the final they work in”
move has happened in the post-Covid phase.
- Nupur Nagpal
So, what is the central thought behind this new CHRO, Myntra
office? “At the heart of it, we are a tech company, in the
space of fashion. The new office integrates the element
of technology in the design across art installations in
the office, while the thoughtful use of upcycled material
for art installations and furniture upholstery are some
of the processes deployed towards creating an envi-
ronment-friendly workspace,” informs Nupur Nagpal,
CHRO, Myntra.

The office space exudes fashion, in the choice of
vibrant colour palettes, thoughtful art installations, in-
spiring corners detailing various fashion-based themes,
mannequin installations to showcase the latest product
launches and more. And don’t miss the wall-mounted
charkha (spinning wheel) as an ode to the Indian spin-
ning, weaving and textile tradition.

Ample Spaces For Imagination
When employees spend a large part of their day at work
station, it’s important to have design that is condu-

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 137 cive to creativity, inspiration,
imagination and productivity. In
this regard, Nagpal shares, “The
comfort and wellbeing of our
employees is paramount because
we believe that people’s creativity
and ingenuity depends a lot on the
environment that they work in.”

A majority of the employees
being Gen-Z and millennials,
the interiors, starting with sitting
arrangement, is designed keeping
in mind the contemporary tastes
and preferences, with function-
ality at the core. The open work
culture is reflected in the open
plan with no cabins.

There are ample quirky,

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

SPOTLIGHT / MYNTRA OFFICE

vibrant recreational spaces for lei- • A library that catalogues a interesting facts and trivia from
sure breaks during the work day or plethora of books the world of fashion at multiple
impromptu brainstorming sessions. places.
Some of these spaces are: • Facilities like the gaming
• Office gym, strategically placed arcades and jamming rooms Meeting Different Needs
Different employees have differ-
massage chairs, nap pods for • Outdoor gaming areas like ent needs, like some preferring
employees to relax their body volleyball and basketball courts well-lit areas and natural light and
and mind others wanting it otherwise. And
• Intrigue and fun are woven a lot of thought has been given to
throughout the new office, with ensure that these diverse needs are
met. Nagpal says, “People usually
prefer to choose their ambience
depending on their mood and that
is exactly what we offer — flexi-
bility as well as choice of different
spaces and themes for their varied
requirements during the course of
the day. One can choose to work
out of work desks, meeting rooms,
or quiet spaces.”

The space design also ensures
diversity and inclusion. “One of
the core principles at Myntra is
DEI and the new office spaces are
a reflection of the same. There
are gender-neutral washrooms,

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 138 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

SPOTLIGHT / MYNTRA OFFICE

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 139 strategic design of ramps to aid
the differently-abled employees,
dedicated crèche area and nursing
rooms, as well as designated park-
ing for expecting mothers.”

Similarly, eating preferences are
taken cognizance of. In the vibrant
cafeteria there are counters with
both vegetarian and non-vegetarian
meal options, healthy food counters
with salad and juice offerings, as
well as a tuck shop for snacks and
quick bites.

Environment Statement
The creation of vertical gardens
and the use of upcycled material
in various aspects of the office are
some of the environment-friendly
steps taken while creating this new
workspace. One of the boardroom
walls is made out of upcycled
keyboards, with keys arranged to
form inspirational words, while
another art installation is made
of material from sample fabric
pieces left behind at the ideation
phase of fashion and yet another
from footsole waste, representing
the step-by-step conceptualisation
of fashion. The upholstery of the
wooden furniture in the cafe is also
made out of recycled waste from
Myntra’s Centre of Excellence. 

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM



Presents

&

SAVE THE DATE

AUGUST 6, 2022

India International Centre, Delhi
9:00 am onwards

CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY OF HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

Padma Awardees and CEOs &
CXOs of Healthcare Companies

ATTENDEE Interaction of Padma Awardees
PROFILE with Healthcare Leaders

Admission is strictly by
invitation only

BOOKMARK

ABOUT THE BOOK

Equal, Yet Different: Career Catalysts

for the Professional Woman

Author: Anita Bhogle
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pages: 211
Price: Rs 399

SOWCNAHTLEHER?EEAAMRBEIYTOIOUN

› Extract from Anita Bhogle’s Equal, Yet Different: Career Catalysts
for the Professional Woman, that questions the limitations that women
professionals impose upon themselves.

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 142 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

BOOKMARK

Sudhir Sitapati’s book on Conversations regarding the eco- Not only was he hungry and major-
Hindustan Unilever is system don’t occur to them. Most ly sleep-deprived but he had never
called The CEO Factory. of the women just mentioned fall in seen Kalpana in a salwar kameez.
A large number of man- the first category. She always wore a saree to work.
agers who were trained He had to pinch himself before it
at HUL have gone on to become ‘The remarkable ICICI women sank in that she had indeed driven
CEOs of other companies. were achievers. They asked for no to the office at that hour to help the
privileges or dispensations. All they team resolve the issue.
Sudhir talks about the role of wanted was a fair and equitable
organizational values and culture in system which was a meritocracy. The second category, according
the success of an organization. He ICICI provided it for them and all to Ramkumar, consists of wom-
believes that one of the reasons that its employees,’ he emphasizes. en who are ambitious but don’t
Unilever internationally, and HUL articulate it. They fear that other
in India, have managed to remain Ramkumar can recount several people might disapprove. Their
at the top of their game for the last examples of how the feisty women bigger fear is that if they don’t
six decades is their commitment to neither asked for any concessions make it to the level they aspire to,
their values of Action, Care, Cour- nor were treated any differently. they would have egg on their face.
age and Truth. With diversity and In ICICI, if teams ran into a major These women believe that there is a
inclusion becoming an integral part problem, there would be a closed- male network that they would need
of their corporate agenda, Unilever door brainstorming session where help to break into. They realize that
says they have reached a 50:50 no one from the team went home there are many disadvantages in
gender balance across their man- till the problem was solved. No the system and expect someone to
agement levels. What remains to exception was made for anyone, intervene and make it a more level
be seen is how many women CEOs regardless of their seniority or playing field.
emerge from this thriving factory. gender.
The third category of women,
For a long time, the honour of Both genders have says Ramkumar, is ambitious up
being the CEO factory for women to a point in their lives. Often with
in finance has gone to Industrial their own struggles and outstanding talent, they break away
Credit and Investment Corpo- due to domestic considerations.
ration of India (ICICI). Kalpana many organizations When the compulsion disappears
Morparia, Lalita Gupte, Shikha and they have an opportunity to
Sharma, Renuka Ramnath, Chanda make concessions for re-enter, they find that they have
Kochhar, Madhabi Puri Buch, changed as people. A cushy life at
Zarine Daruwala, Vishakha Mulye their women employees. home and a comfortable financial
and Vedika Bhandarkar were all situation are often enough to take
products of ICICI who went on to We need to be grateful your focus away from your profes-
become CEOs of various financial sional commitments. Opportunities
organizations. Through most of for such privileges
these years, Ramkumar has headed WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
HR at ICICI. He has had a ringside that most responsible
view of both the organization and
the women who went on to become employers provide
success stories.
and not treat them as
‘There are three categories of
women,’ starts Ramkumar. The entitlements
first category, he says, are ambi-
tious women who are not afraid of Ramkumar tells a particularly
broadcasting their ambition. They amusing story of a time when, as a
deal with whatever challenges they mid-level manager, he and his col-
encounter and don’t expect the leagues worked several late nights
organization to solve their prob- trying to chase a deadline but ran
lems. They pursue their ambition into a technical issue. Realizing
knowing full well that not much that there was a chance of missing
support is likely to come their way. the deadline, around midnight he
called up Kalpana Morparia who
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 143 was the manager then and told her
about the problem. At around 2
a.m., Ram thought he saw Kalpana,
dressed in a blue salwar kameez
walking towards the team. He was
convinced he was hallucinating.

BOOKMARK

to re-enter exist, thinks Ramku- In the early 1990s, Madhabi quit Photograph by helpsg from Pixabay
mar, provided you are a realist. If her job at ICICI, took her young
the break is long, your batchmates child and followed her husband a poster in her store that said, ‘If
and juniors would have moved on when he took up an assignment in you don’t serve the customer, the
and you might need to report to the UK. In those days, educational competition will.’
them. This is often not acceptable qualifications from India were not
to women in this category, where- recognized abroad. So, despite hav- In my many conversations that
as women from category one, in ing passed out of India’s no. 1 busi- have served as the basis for this
the same situation, are willing to ness school, the only job Madhabi book, I have found a few traits that
accept, fight back and bridge the could find was as a salesgirl in a are common to real achievers. One
gap at the earliest. Most organiza- store, which she accepted saying, of them is that they are all fair and
tions are now willing to give some ‘Who knows what I might learn?’ positive. Successful women never
amount of credit for past perfor- When she returned to India, ICICI make their struggle a gender issue.
mance but making unrealistic de- wanted her back. She was away They leave their gender behind
mands like batch parity even after for about three years, but ICICI and go to work as equal employ-
a five-year break makes things dif- graciously gave her credit ees. They would certainly qualify
ficult for the organization. And as for almost two. She was grateful for to be in Ramkumar’s first catego-
Neha Bagaria of JobsForHer says, the offer and says that that gesture ry. Both genders have their own
‘Reskilling and confidence-building on the part of ICICI was one of struggles and many organizations
are both required for a smooth and many that made her feel a strong make concessions for their women
successful return to work.’ sense of commitment to her em- employees. We need to be grate-
ployer. Many years later, when ful for such privileges that most
Madhabi Puri Buch is the first she was running customer service responsible employers provide and
woman and first person from the for the bank across 1500 branches, not treat them as entitlements. To
private sector to be appointed she would often refer to her expe- get treated equally, we must first
chairperson of the Securities and rience as a salesgirl, particularly ensure that we deliver our 100 per
Exchange Board of India (SEBI). cent. If we do our jobs well and on
time, we don’t give anyone a chance
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 144 to say that we left early or compro-
mised in any manner. 

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

BOOKMARK BY MEHA MATHUR

A Harvest of
Diamonds

› To understand what makes a business sustain and thrive, this
account of business tycoon Govind Dholakia is a great study

About the book rise, the growth
of Dholakia’s
Diamonds Are Forever, So Are Morals: Shree Ramkri-
An Autobiography of Govind Dholakia sha Exports to
As Told to Arun Tiwari & Kamlesh Yagnik a billion-dollar
business, his
Published by: Penguin Enterprise vision of shar-
ing the riches
Pages: 338 with people
in the form of
Price: Rs 699 starting edu-
cational in-
With all counselling benefits availa- stitutes, skills
ble to city kids in the 21st Century, development
career clarity in 14-year-olds is still initiatives,
lacking. Imagine then the aware- hospitals,
ness level in a farming village in a including
decade-old independent India, when means of commu- super-spe-
nication and transport were rudimentary, basic health cialty ones,
and education facilities were abysmal, and exposure to starting an
the outside world was negligent. In such a setting, for a annual lecture series at
middle school boy to realise that his destiny lay in city, IIM-Ahmedabad and even starting an
and for him to intelligently make it big on world stage, airline to provide better connectivity to Surat. It’s a
makes for a compelling reading. story of an individual’s journey intertwined with that of
the nation. So, during the 1994 plague when Surat was
Govind Dholakia, belonging to a farmer’s family in particularly hit, Dholakia didn’t hesitate in cleaning the
Dudhala village in Amreli district of Gujarat, with a streets; and in the wake of Bhuj earthquake, or during
population of 700 then, left for Surat in 1964, having drought years, he offered liberal help in relief kits and
studied up till class VII. Surat was then emerging as a cleaning up of reservoirs.
diamond cutting and polishing hub and Dholakia joined
as an apprentice to learn the skills, surviving on meagre A diamond tycoon wouldn’t perhaps inspire a po-
sums but grasping the nuances of the trade fast. When litical statesman, but the body of work that Dholakia
to pause and when to grasp the opportunity is a knack has done and overseen made President Kalam pay him
that Dholakia learnt along the way, rarely going wrong, visit in 2015, to compliment him on skilling the youth;
even when the world was in turmoil following the 2008 among others impressed by this success story are Bill
meltdown. Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s
Kailash Satyarthi, Amul’s Verghese Kurien, Magsaysay
The autobiography, as told to Arun Tiwari, co-author winner Rajendra Singh, and Ratan Tata. The latter once
of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire and Kamlesh commented, “Govindbhai, you are a self-made man. I
Yagnik, a long-time associate of Dholakia, describes this actually inherited my company.” 

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 145 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

CASE STUDY BY MEHA MATHUR

SECURING THE FUTURE
OF SECURITY STAFF

› They keep our establishments safe. What policies are in place
for their financial wellbeing, and how effectively are these being

implemented?

Our industrial establishments, corporate Photograph by INDIAPICTUREBUDGET
offices, banks, hospitals, hotels, shops
and even our gated residential communi- WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
ties are secured by the security staff that
guards the gates, operates the scanning
machines, manages the movement of customers or vis-
itors at entry points, and manages tricky situations like
irate customers or even foiling robbery, industrial theft,
and break-in. Yet, very often, this group of workforce, re-
cruited through security agencies, is considered periph-
eral and gets differential treatment. Their crucial role in
the safe running of an enterprise is often overlooked.

This has been a subject of scholarly studies across
the world. Adam White, in his article, ‘Critical workers?
Private security, public perceptions and the Covid-19
pandemic’ in Security Journal (Springer), highlighted
the case of public perception in the UK, where, despite
them being designated ‘Critical workers’ during Covid,
public acceptance of their role was guarded. Glen Kit-
teringham, in his piece ‘Research Review: Quality of
Life for Bank Guards’, in asisonline.org, described the
rampant growth of unlicenced agencies, low wages, high
stress levels and lack of career progression for security
guards in the banking sector in Brazil, and how, “Due
to lack of government enforcement capabilities, many
illegal organizations operate by providing services at a
reduced price, thereby undercutting legitimate security
providers”.

At home, G Selvamani of the Department of Anna
Centre for Public Affairs, University of Madras, pub-
lished ‘Working and Living Conditions of Private Facil-
ities Personnel: A Study’ in 2011, highlighting the vast

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 146

CASE STUDY

and unorganised security sector experience of serving in the Army, Photograph by CANVA
that prevails despite the Private Navy, Air Force, any other Armed
Security Agencies (Regulation) Act Forces of the Union or State Police the Union, Police, including armed
(PSARA), 2005, which came into including armed constabularies and constabularies of states, and Home
effect in 2006. The study revealed Home Guards for a period of not Guards.
how this role is still considered a less than three years”.
“mundane” function, how the pay is The Act describes at length the
dismal and long hours and limited Similarly, while employing a situations where indiscipline on the
leaves are not adequately compen- person as a private security guard, part of security guards can lead to
sated, and what kind of rudimenta- preference is to be given to a person action against them and agencies,
ry, often unhygienic infrastructure who has served in the Army, Navy, including when they:
exists for them. Air Force, any other Armed Force of » committed a breach of trust or

Some of these issues were sought While employing a misappropriated the property or
to be addressed through PSARA. person as a private a part thereof which they were
The act states: “No person shall car- supposed to protect;
ry on or commence the business of security guard, » were found habitually drunk or
private security agency, unless he preference is to be indisciplined;
holds a licence issued under this given to a person » were found to be involved in
Act.” Conditions for the grant of the who has served in the committing crimes; or
licence had been mentioned. The Army, Navy, Air Force, » had connived or abetted a crime
Act also states, “Every private secu- any other armed force against the person or property
rity agency shall ensure imparting of the Union, Police, placed under their charge
of such training and skills to its pri-
vate security guards and supervisors including armed In Sync With The Law
as may be prescribed….” constabularies of states, Roop Singh Kuntal, MD of Am-
ron Associates and former Delhi
Agencies are required to em- and Home Guards. Chapter Chairperson of ASIS In-
ploy supervisors, and preference ternational, and who has headed,
is to be given to a person “who has and been an active member of, sev-
eral security-related associations
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 147 in his career spanning more than
three decades, describes the struc-

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CASE STUDY

ture of this sector, especially since gle employee, including the secu- Photograph by CANVA
the PSARA came into effect. He rity and supply chain staff, across
informs that by and large most large the country. In this endeavour, our Support Policy for India, extending
corporates abide by PSARA and employees, including supply chain additional support for the families
extend same HR benefits to securi- executives and security staff are and dependents of Flipkart employ-
ty personnel as they do to the oth- covered under appropriate insur- ees who have lost their lives to the
er staff, there being no differential ance schemes and are offered vari- pandemic. In the unfortunate case
treatment for the security staff. ous other benefits under our Surak- of death, the family of the deceased
sha scheme where they are provided employee receives a life insurance
Krishna Raghavan, Chief Peo- with multiple benefits including benefit to the value of 5X of the em-
ple Officer at Flipkart, describing salary advances and subsidised ployee’s cash CTC along with a no-
his company’s policy in this regard, medicines.” tice period settlement as per their
says, “We have introduced a slew contract.”
of measures to extend our care and He informs that during the pan-
wellness initiatives to every sin- demic, Flipkart introduced a Family Neelam Chhabra, Assistant
Vice President, Facilities, Max Life
Insurance, says that even though

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 148 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM

CASE STUDY

security guards in Max Life have also entitled for leaves as notified assessment partners, laying down
been outsourced to PSARA certified by respective state governments. protocols to be followed, and qual-
security agencies but Max Life has Max Life also ensures that every ifications needed for trainers.
ensured that all their entitlements security personnel gets bonus,” she
and social benefits like EPF, ESI, elaborates. Each sector has specific require-
bonus, leaves etc are protected and ments. For instance, security at air-
Max Life keeps a regular checks on The benefits also extend to skill ports has different requirements
the same. upgradation and career progres- from one in a bank, a hotel or a fer-
sion. Special drives are conducted tiliser plant, port security, bus sta-
“Each and every security per- to enhance their professional and tions or railways. Training institutes
sonnel deployed at Max Life loca- soft skills, and they are encouraged have designed their programmes
tions is covered under EPF, which to use automation in their routine to cater to these specific needs. For
helps them to save for their future. work, she states. example, International Institute of
For their health and wellbeing they Skilled tag, the game changer Security and Safety Management
are all covered under ESI which not Recognising the importance of the (IISSM) provides courses pertain-
only protects them and their fami- security personnel and their train- ing to corporate vigilance, visitor
lies from medical expenses but also ing, Security Sector Skill Devel- management, fire safety, industrial
covers their insurance in case of opment Council has been created, safety, hostage situation and much
any mishap. Every security guard which has onboard training and more. Training is provided in as-
deployed at Max Life premises is pects like how to handle X-ray ma-
Photograph by CANVA chine, metal detectors, fire alarm,
BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 149 CCTV camera etc.

While some of these courses are
targeted at aspiring security super-
visors or managers, there is a large
population of rural or semi-urban
youth who would be keen to upskill
themselves from their daily grind as
manual labour. Kuntal says that the
benefits that accrue to the security
guards, once they get the minimum
training as envisaged in PSARA and
get the ‘skilled labour’ tag are im-
mense. They get assured minimum
wages and other benefits.

He points out that the challenge
for them is taking leave of 60 days
from their work for training, which
would put the family livelihood at
risk. The other challenge is that
of monitoring security agencies,
and ensuring that they abide by
the conditions of obtaining licence
specified in the Act. Otherwise,
the rudimentary, ad hoc nature of
employment in this sector will con-
tinue, especially in shops, commer-
cial complexes, residential quarters
and gated communities of big and
small cities. 

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WELLBEING BY TRISHNA PATNAIK

A Healer
Or Slayer?

› How our mind can veer towards destructive
tendencies, and yet develop fending mechanisms,

enabling us to live in our own unique way

BW PEOPLE AUGUST 2022 150 Photograph by CANVA

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