Comprehensive Insights on Diversity and Gender Parity for the first time in India

New Delhi – New research conducted by ManpowerGroup India has unveiled the state of DEIB initiatives across Industries and levels within the...

New Delhi – New research conducted by ManpowerGroup India has unveiled the state of DEIB initiatives across Industries and levels within the Organization. The survey that examined 3,150 Indian employers, revealed more employers are taking active measures to promote equity through progressive policies, upskilling, and flexibility.

Information Technology (IT) sector (58%) leads the way in strengthening its Diversity ratio, closely followed by the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector (54%) and the Financials and Real Estate sector (54%). In contrast, the Consumer Goods and Services sector (34%) has a long way to go.

Sandeep Gulati, MD of ManpowerGroup India and Middle East, stated “India’s gender diversity is among the best worldwide and it is encouraging to see women's participation in the workforce increasing at a rapid pace. Organizations have realigned their hiring strategies by mandating women hiring at every level across sectors.” He further highlighted “Technology has made flexibility possible coupled with a specialized programme to bring back women with long professional breaks, all of which have greatly contributed to this trend. Mr. Gulati expressed confidence in India’s ability to advance at a much faster growth rate if more and more women are added to the labor force.”

KEY FINDINGS

Building Trusting relationships with teams – Over half (58%) confirm building trusting relationships with teams within the organization is helping support the recruitment and retention of all genders more equitably. Other top factors include: Effectively supporting employee well-being (57%) and recognizing employees for contributing to a positive culture (54%).

Learnability Promotes Advancement – Four in 10 organizations (43%) report leadership development programs are effectively expanding the candidate pool to include more individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Innovation Powered by Tech – 80% of employers say new technology has helped them be more flexible, promoting more gender equality, 74% said tech is diversifying their IT talent pipelines, 77% cite advancing tech as helping gender equality, and 70% said that AI-based tools are aiding with the recruitment of the best candidates regardless of gender.

Mixed Progress on Pay Equity – Over half (58%) of respondents report pay equity initiatives are on schedule, while the remaining 32% are behind schedule and 10% have no initiatives. Information Technology (65%), Communications Services (60%), and Healthcare and Life Sciences (60%) are outpacing the other industries. Energy and Utilities (48%) is lagging.

Uneven Representation by Role – Efforts to expand the number of women candidates vary by role type, with administrative (57%), front-line Management (55%) and operational (55%) positions leading the way. Less female representation is seen in Top-Level Management roles (49%) followed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (53%) and mid-level management (53%).

KEY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WOMEN

Empower Women’s Allyship – Guide young women’s career journeys early on. Facilitate mentorship and sponsorship programs for women led by senior executive female allies.

Leverage An Internal Talent Marketplace – Implement AI-based talent marketplaces matching women’s skills and aspirations to projects, gigs, and leadership opportunities enabling professional growth.

Focus On Upskilling and Reskilling – Offer AI-enabled and virtual upskilling and reskilling to suggest personalized courses. Host tech academies to ensure women develop high-demand digital fluencies.

Keep Flexible Benefits – Survey staff to shape policies supporting work-life harmony. With growing return-to-office plans, maintain caregiving benefits and hybrid remote options to retain women.

Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Adequately – Embed DEIB goals into operations with executive support, clear KPIs, tools, and training that build capabilities across all levels.