With the new Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2016 offering 26 weeks’ leave, it is being feared that recruiters will now discreetly yet increasingly ask women candidates whether they plan to start a family. A candidate can refuse to answer the question.

A panel of senior members from the industry – Rajesh Padmanabhan, Rani Desai, ES Srinivas, Sandip Ghose, Mahalakshmi R and Kamal Karanth – with diverse experience and expertise opine on what happiness means in the current times and how organisations can facilitate the same.  

Chandrasekhar Sripada’s wide experience of over three decades across economies – old and new –and across companies in the private, public and multinational sectors spans such as IBM, Capgemini, Reliance Infocomm, NIIT and Bhilai Steel Plant.

Sripada, president & global head, HR, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, talks to HRKatha about leadership styles and influence of environment; technology and its impact on the workplace; and about people practices in the pharma industry.