CNBC-TV 18’s ‘Future. Female. Forward’ an initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap and encouraging actionable dialogues to make gender parity an attainable reality concluded the Hyderabad city chapter on May 31.
The event was held at T-Hub Phase 2, Hyderabad, with renowned names from business, entrepreneurship, policy and politics in attendance.
“The Future. Female. Forward Playbook” was unveiled with influential figures like Hitendra Dave (CEO, HSBC India), Subhrakant Panda (President, FICCI), Deepti Sagar (Chief People and Experience Officer, Deloitte South Asia), Rahul Singh (COO - Corporate Functions, HCLTech) and Shereen Bhan.
This guide emphasizes gender parity in the workforce and its impact on the global economy through industry best practices and case studies.
Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18 gave the welcome address where she said, “In India, as reported by the National Science Foundation, while 52 percent of women are enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) courses for their graduation, only 29 percent eventually join the STEM workforce. Furthermore, a mere 3 percent of women hold CEO positions within the STEM industry. As we progress towards a world where technology becomes increasingly dominant, it is imperative to ensure that women are not left behind and that the gender gap does not expand.”
The topic of the first panel discussion moderated by Bhan was ‘Women transforming technology and life sciences’.
Deepti Sagar, Chief People & Experience Officer, Deloitte South Asia said, “We at Deloitte visit engineering colleges of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and hire women workforce as a conscious effort to develop gender parity. Additionally, we also adjust our workplace ecosystem to match their pace of work rather than dictating them to adjust according to our pace to encourage the women workforce.”
Subhrakant Panda, President of FICCI, added, “There needs to be a special focus on areas where women’s participation is low. The laws which held back women from working in the manufacturing sector have been modified.”
“As a company, we believe in giving equal rights to all employees, and with equal parental leaves, we aim to eradicate the social bias that mothers get parental leaves while fathers are kept away and not involved in raising the child,” said Naveen Gullapalli of Novartis.
“We firmly believe that women are capable of serving as excellent role models... As a leading tech organization, we encourage women to take on more high-level positions that contribute to the company's overall growth,” added Rahul Singh, COO - Corporate Functions, HCLTech.
Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of Industries & Commerce & IT, Department of Telangana Government in a discussion in the evening said that Telangana holds the distinction of having the highest number of residential schools for girls per capita in India. “Telangana took a proactive step by dispatching a team of women officers to various parts of the world to learn and adopt the best practices for maintaining safety and security,” he added.
Surendra Rosha, Co-CEO, HSBC Asia Pacific, who also participated in the conversation said, “According to research, inclusion not only boosts productivity but also provides multiple benefits to organizations.”
CNBC-TV 18 also honoured visionaries and pioneers, who played significant roles in bridging the gender gap, including the team behind India’s first women-only Industrial Park and Gulab Singh Shergill, a constable in Punjab Police, who is using his own money and time to train young girls in Patiala’s Dharoki village to realise their dream of playing cricket for India.
Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, delivered a special address on women empowerment.
The evening ambience was enhanced by the presence of Eka Lakhani, Costume Designer, and Pratiksha Prashant, CEO of Kishandas & Co, as they shared their insightful perspectives on the exquisite wardrobe choices for the characters of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’. From opulent ruby-encrusted gold jewellery to meticulously handwoven cotton and silks, their expertise added a touch of inspiration to the event.
Changemakers who lead by example, including Mansi Gandhi, Co-Founder of DoctorC; Priyanka Ravala, Head of International Programs, Strategy & Partnerships at T-Hub; Kalpana Ramesh, Founder of The Rainwater Project; Lithika Bhanu, CEO of Terra Greens Organics; Deepti Alapati, Founder of Pulp Cosmetics; and Shilpa Reddy, MD of Saptagir Camphor Pvt Ltd, participated in the engaging discussion on the ‘Future of Sustainable Innovation: Women Pioneering Change’.
Sreemoyee Kundu, a distinguished columnist on gender and bestselling author, highlighted mainstreaming the identities of single women and brought the evening to a thought-provoking conclusion.
Disclaimer: CNBC TV 18 is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
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