C-suite at Tatas to handhold 300 potential women leaders

As part of this project 180 CXOs and 35 CEOs from 45 group companies will come together to mentor 300 high-potential women executives.

Women managers in large numbers drop out of their careers mid-way, which is why there are fewer women at the top or in leadership roles. Tata Group has found a unique solution to this perennial problem.

It has launched a one-of-its-kind cross-company mentoring programme aimed at promoting deserving women to leadership roles.

As part of this project, 180 CXOs and 35 CEOs from 45 Group companies will come together to mentor 300 high-potential women executives. The programme has been planned to include cross-company mentoring in order to provide the women executives, the opportunity to learn from a wider network of leaders and not just from the leaders of their company.

Leaders across industries agree that it is easier to tackle diversity issues at the lower levels in an organisational hierarchy while at the top levels, owing to decreasing number of women talent, the challenge grows further.

The programme is not only a commendable initiative to bring more women in leadership positions, it is also in line with the gender diversity vision set by group chairman Cyrus Mistry.

In March 2014, he had stated that the group wants to have at least 1,000 women leaders by the end of this decade and the aim was to double the number of women employees during the said period.

Tata Group currently is the biggest employer of women at 1.45 lakh, but ironically there are only a few women at the CXO level. Also surprisingly, none of the 100-plus Tata companies have a woman officer as the top head.

The current gender diversity ratio at the top level in the group stands at a mere 10 percent, which is why the large conglomerate is sincerely investing efforts in planning and implementing such a programme. Leaders across industries agree that it is easier to tackle diversity issues at the lower levels in an organisational hierarchy while at the top levels, owing to decreasing number of women talent, the challenge grows further.

Tata Group currently is the biggest employer of women at 1.45 lakh, but ironically there are only a few women at the CXO level.

While Tata Group is looking at enhancing the career of women employed with them, it also believes that this initiative will act as a tool to retain women managers who otherwise tend to drop out somewhere in the mid of their careers.

Recently, Tata Sons tweaked its maternity policy to provide more flexibility to women employees and help them through a smooth transition, post the break most women take at some point in their careers. With such practices in place, the group is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring its women talent stay.