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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 25: Avtar, India’s pioneer and leading workplace culture consulting and inclusion solutions company, today announced findings from the 10th edition of Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI), listing. The findings mark an evolution in the integration of inclusion as an important business imperative in India Inc. In this landmark edition, the BCWI listing features 125 companies. For the first time, women’s representation in leadership touches 20%, even as overall women’s representation amongst Best Companies stays stable at 35.7%. Professional Services leads with 44.6% of workforce being women, followed by ITES with 41.7% women. Pharma with 25% of women, FMCG with 23% and Manufacturing with 12% women are intensifying their inclusion efforts.

The study also examined reasons for which women and men quit work. While attrition rates of women and that of men are similar across levels in Best Companies with hovering around 20%, the no.1 reason for both women and men to leave their organizations is access to better job opportunities. Health/well-being related challenges emerge as another dominant reason for women to exit the workplace, even more than child-care responsibilities

In its 10th edition, BCWI received 365 applications from organizations across various industries, regions and sectors in India, out of which companies from industries as diverse as Automotive, BFSI, Chemical, Conglomerate, Consumer Products, E-Commerce, Global Capabilities Centre (GCC), Hospitality, Health Care, IT, ITES, Logistics and Management Consulting, Manufacturing, Media, Pharmaceutical, Professional Services, Revenue Cycle Management, Real Estate, Retail and Apparel, and Science & Engineering, Telecommunication and Utilities, made it to the Best Companies List. The 2025 Avtar & Seramount Top 10 Best Companies for Women in India listed alphabetically, are: Accenture Solutions Private Limited, AXA XL India Business Services Pvt. Ltd, Cairn Oil and Gas Vedanta Limited, EY, KPMG in India, Mastercard Incorporation, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Procter & Gamble India, Tech Mahindra Limited and Wipro Limited. The full list can be viewed, here: www.avtarinc.com/enrich/best-companies-for-women-in-india-bcwi.

Avtar also released the seventh edition of its annual index – Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI) that spotlights organizational commitment to include the diversity strands of Persons with Disabilities (PwD), LGBTQ+, generations and cultural diversity. From 58% companies focusing on People with Disabilities (PwDs) in 2019, the focus has increased drastically to an absolute 100% of companies focusing on the same, this year. The companies that feature in MICI together employ 9687 People with disabilities. LGBTQ+ inclusion also has gained widespread acceptance – from 23% companies focusing on LGBTQ+ in 2019, this has grown to 95%, this year. The 2025 Avtar & Seramount Champions of Inclusion, listed alphabetically, are: Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Allianz Services India, AXA XL India Business Services Pvt. Ltd, Encore Capital Group Inc, EY, IBM India Private Limited, KPMG in India, Mastercard Incorporation, Omega Healthcare Management Services Pvt. Ltd. and UST. The full list can be viewed, here: www.avtarinc.com/enrich/benchmarking.

For the very first time, Avtar also announced the Top 10 Best Companies for ESG. The BCESG framework evaluates companies on the three tenets of ESG – environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance excellence. This study revealed that energy efficiency (90% companies) and solar adoption (80% companies) are the most prevalent sustainability strategies, while hydroelectric and wind energy remain underutilized due to infrastructure and geographic limitations. While 100% of companies have a formal policy for occupational safety and health, 90% deliver ESG specific training to all its employees. The 2025 Avtar & Seramount Top 10 Best Companies for ESG, listed alphabetically, are: CGI, Eaton Technologies Pvt Ltd, EPAM Systems India Private Limited, GRP LTD, Infosys Limited, Lear Corporation, Solenis chemicals, Tata Communications Ltd, UST and Wipro Limited. The full list can be viewed, here: www.avtarinc.com/avtar-seramount-best-companies-for-esg-bcesg-in-india.

Dr. Saundarya Rajesh – Founder, President, Avtar, celebrating the progress expressed, “My heartiest congratulations to all our winners for bringing inclusion and belonging to life, through intention and focused action! The results are here for us to see – from an average women’s representation of 25% in 2016, the best companies have collectively grown to 35.7% women’s representation, this year. Women in C-suite leadership touches an impressive 20%, up from 13% in 2016. What’s truly encouraging is that these efforts extend beyond multinational corporations – the share of Indian companies that feature in the Best Companies listing has grown from 25% in 2021, to 40% this year.”

She further added, “As we honor the achievements of these frontrunners, many of whose journeys we have seen up close in the past 10 years, we are also inspired by the broader movement they are driving. One that empowers women, enables allies, embraces diverse identities and engages responsibly with sustainability, helping unlock the full potential of the workforce!”

“What inspires me about the Most Inclusive Companies Index is the real change it sparks–helping organizations in India break down barriers, design thoughtful solutions, and open new opportunities for underrepresented talent,” said Subha Barry, President of Seramount. “This recognition reflects the passion and commitment of leaders who are creating workplaces where women, LGBTQ+ employees, persons with disabilities, and talent across generations feel valued and can truly thrive.”

Avtar, founded in 2000 by Dr Saundarya Rajesh, is one of India’s leading workplace culture consulting and inclusion solution firms, supporting hundreds of companies in creating diverse and supportive workplaces. Avtar is credited with introducing the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to Indian corporates, and is also the country’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women. As the earliest firm in India to provided end to end inclusion solutions, Avtar’s services span a broad spectrum, including culture diagnostics, inclusion enablement trainings, conferences & events and culture-first hiring solutions.

For more details, please visit www.avtarinc.com.

Seramount is a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to supporting high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Over four decades, we’ve established a strong, data-driven understanding of the employee experience, which lays the groundwork for everything we do. Seramount partners with over 450 of the world’s most influential companies, large and small, to offer pragmatic solutions including best practice DEI research, workplace assessment, employee learning and development, and talent sourcing. These offerings empower companies to navigate a dynamic corporate environment and to cultivate a resilient, connected workforce that achieves extraordinary outcomes.

For more details, please visit www.seramount.com.

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New Delhi [India], September 25 (ANI): The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched a low-cost, innovative, and self-propelling model of cluster development through its national scheme, Development of Industry Associations (DIA), a release stated.

The National Conclave on DIA was inaugurated by M Nagaraju, Secretary DFS, Ministry of Finance, in the national capital.

Nagaraju said that India needs to evolve from being a production hub to an innovation epicentre in areas of its competitive advantages. Cluster development passes through four stages: initiation, establishment, operationalization, and transformation.

Many Indian clusters are in the establishment or operationalisation stage. Nagaraju said industry associations must become the torchbearers that guide clusters to the transformational stage, where they not only serve local needs but also shape global value chains.

“Many of our associations lack scale, financial sustainability, and modern service delivery capacity. To truly empower MSMEs, we must invest in strengthening the capabilities of our associations. Our clusters must transform from industrial hubs into innovation epicentres and our industry associations must evolve from being representatives to becoming catalysts of transformation,” he said.

Around 125 representatives from approximately 90 industry associations across the country, including eight from the north-eastern states, participated in the Conclave. The Industry Associations represented sectors including engineering, plastics, printing, textiles, food processing, furniture, jewellery and electronics.

Speaking on the occasion, Manoj Mittal, CMD, SIDBI, said strong clusters need strong industry associations.

“SIDBI will follow a dual strategy: firstly, support industry associations for infrastructure, trained human resources and initial activities in a flexible and demand-driven approach and secondly, digitally strengthen the ecosystem through a portal created. The portal will support all registered associations and their members in participating in and conducting research on topics of interest, networking and learning, staying updated with information, and addressing their financial and technical requirements,” he said.

“The ultimate objective is to create financially sustainable industry associations which will have an action plan, and will provide strategic services to their members. Here, there is a lot to learn from the FPOs, which have reached 44,000 units in a span of 10+ years and provide a variety of transformational services, with revenues running into crores,” he added. (ANI)

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NewsVoir

New Delhi [India], September 25: REnergy Dynamics (RED), a company dedicated to advancing the bioenergy sector in India, has entered into a strategic alliance with GMM Pfaudler, a global leader in technologies, systems, and services, to become one of the first companies in India to manufacture paddle agitators under the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Under this alliance, commercial production of paddle agitators has commenced at a state-of-the-art facility in Gujarat, positioning RED-GMM among the first movers to locally manufacture and supply this critical equipment for CBG plants in India. These agitators are already operational at marquee projects, including Reliance Industries’ CBG plant executed by RED, which serves as a flagship reference.

With nearly 1,000 CBG plants expected to become operational over the next three years, the paddle agitator market within the CBG sector alone is projected to reach Rs. 7,500 crore.

Speaking about the alliance, Kushagra Nandan, Chairman & Managing Director of RED, said, “This partnership marks RED’s entry into the manufacturing and marketing of paddle agitators, essential for India’s CBG industry. GMM Pfaudler’s global footprint and expertise in developing technologies, systems, and services for various industries, including the energy industry, make them the ideal partner for this venture.”

Varun Karad, CEO of RED, added, “By being among the first to market locally manufactured paddle agitators in India, we are not only reducing dependence on imports but also ensuring CBG developers access world-class technology at competitive costs. This is a major step in making India self-reliant in the CBG value chain. As India’s CBG market grows, the demand for paddle agitators is also expected to grow significantly. This partnership aims to address the growing demand by CBG developers by bringing in the right technology at a competitive price point.”

Aseem Joshi, CEO, GMM Pfaudler, said, “RED’s vision, combined with GMM Pfaudler’s global mixing technology expertise, creates a strong foundation for scalable and reliable solutions.”

Devang Bhojani, General Manager, GMM Pfaudler, said, “As India’s CBG sector grows, several reliable agitator solutions, especially paddle agitators customised to Indian feedstock and recipes, will be critical. As the largest agitator manufacturing company in India, we are uniquely positioned to provide globally proven solutions that ensure both industry expansion and cost efficiency.”

GMM Pfaudler agitators have also been used on mixing application of hydrolysis of bamboo based 2G Ethanol facility at the Assam Bio Refinery (Numaligarh Refinery Limited).

With this alliance, RED once again reaffirms its commitment to bringing technology, quality, and affordability to the CBG industry.

REnergy Dynamics (RED) is dedicated to advancing the renewable energy sector in India, offering an integrated bioenergy platform to its clients. RED’s portfolio of solutions includes: company-owned and developed large-scale bioenergy projects; EPC services to renewable energy developers; feedstock aggregation and its supply to compressed biogas projects; and the manufacturing and supply of CBG plant components. RED has quickly established a significant presence in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat through various bioenergy projects. The company is committed to sustainable growth and aims to create positive social and economic impacts on the communities and businesses they collaborate with.

To learn more, visit www.renergydynamics.com.

GMM Pfaudler Limited delivers corrosion-resistant technologies, systems, and services worldwide, and it remains the preferred choice by consistently providing its customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and other process industries with innovative and cost-effective solutions. GMM Pfaudler Limited has 19 manufacturing locations, an extensive sales and service network, and employs more than 2000 people across 4 continents.

Learn more at www.gmmpfaudler.com.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)