CII Centre for Women Leadership

New mothers are eligible to opt for flexible work arrangement or part-time work beyond the usual maternity benefits.

Employees are eligible for leaves in case of their participation in sports at national or international levels, army, court witness, family planning, blood donation, and more.

Motivate new mother to openly communicate their changing needs with their managers and the human resources team to enable the adoption of work methods fit for them.

Female trainees who are not covered under the ESI scheme are eligible for the same maternity leaves and benefits applicable to other employees.

Both male and female employees are eligible for counselling support to help deal with personal and professional challenges that might impact them while becoming parents.

Granting one month of leave for women employees who undergo sickness due to pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, etc.

Select Examples:

Genpact

Sector: Business Process Management and Professional Services

Challenge Identified: Retention of women employees post maternity and enabling continuity of employment while balancing family and work responsibilities.

Intervention: Genpact has 70,000 employees globally, out of which 45,000 work in India. On an average, about 400-500 women take maternity leave in the organization annually. To address the concerns of their employees, Genpact undertook structured policy changes to encourage the retention of women employees.

Organisational Levers:

The company enhanced fully paid maternity leave in India from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, applicable to birth, adopting and commissioning mothers (up to two children).
Consolidated women-focused benefits under the Returning Moms Programme, including subsidised daycare, stork parking, flexible working arrangements, work-from-home options, choice of shift timings and preferred office location for up to one year post return.
Maintained structured engagement with employees through pregnancy and re-entry to reduce attrition.

Impact: Strengthened support ecosystem for their women employees availing maternity leave annually in India.

Source: Genpact. (2017, January 24). Genpact enhances maternity leave in India to 26 weeks.

Dasgupta, B. (2015, November 14). At Genpact, new moms can choose shift timings. The Economic Times.

Patagonia

Sector: Outdoor Apparel and Equipment Retail

Challenge Identified: Supporting working families and ensuring gender parity and retention of women employees by addressing care needs and workplace flexibility.

Organisational Levers:

Established systematic family support policies including on-site childcare (Great Pacific Childhood Development Center), childcare subsidies, paid parental leave for men and women (expanded over time), and flexible coverage and skill-building opportunities for colleagues filling in during parental leave.
Implemented travel care support for primary caregivers.
Provided high-quality healthcare and tracked return on investment for care programs to refine offerings.
Promotion decisions explicitly excluded pregnancy and caregiving status.

Impact: Patagonia achieved a 98% return-to-work rate for mothers after maternity leave and reports complete gender parity and pay equity across all job categories and ranks in the U.S. Care investments delivered a 91% ROI, largely due to employee retention and engagement improvements. Patagonia also reports that pregnancy or caregiving does not affect promotion chances.

Source: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development & International Center for Research on Women. (2019). Workplace flexibility at Patagonia case study.

Sanofi

Sector: Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare

Challenge Identified: Creating a supportive, inclusive workplace culture that enables gender equity, employee wellbeing, and retention of working parents.

Organisational Levers:

Launched a global policy providing 14 weeks of paid gender-neutral parental leave for all employees across countries, including 14 weeks of paternity leave.
Introduced a global flexible work policy enabling employees to adapt work patterns and environments to individual needs.
Provided substantial daycare fee subsidies, covering 75% of annual daycare fees and 50% of monthly daycare fees for up to three children aged six months to 10 years.
Required managers to conduct regular wellbeing conversations to ensure employee support.

Impact: Strengthened support systems for working parents globally and reinforced an inclusive culture focused on wellbeing, flexibility, and gender equity.

Source: Sanofi. (2023). Declaration of extra-financial performance 2023.

NITI Aayog. (2025). From intent to impact: A compendium of good practices on gender parity at workplace. Government of India.

Wipro

Sector: Information Technology / Global Services

Challenge Identified: Strengthening return pathways, retention, and advancement of women across career stages, particularly in mid- and senior-level roles.

Intervention: With over 230,000 employees and business partners across 65 countries, Wipro has built structured return and advancement pathways for women through initiatives such as the ‘Begin Again’ Second Career Program, the ‘WoW Mom’ maternity reintegration platform, leadership sponsorship under ‘Enrich’, mentorship networks, and targeted leadership development for mid- and senior-level women.

Organisational Levers Used:

‘Begin Again’ Second Career Program
‘WoW Mom’ maternity reintegration platform
Leadership sponsorship under ‘Enrich’
Mentorship networks
Targeted leadership development for mid- and senior-level women
Executive-level engagement forums (W-Connect)
External sponsorships
Bias-awareness training
HerCode skill-building initiatives

Impact: Women now comprise 36.6% of the workforce. Senior leadership representation increased from 7.3% in FY21 to 18.7% in FY24, and management representation rose from 17.5% to 24% over the same period. Retention outcomes include 99% of new mothers returning to work and remaining for over a year, alongside a 10.1% reduction in attrition among women transitioning from non-management to junior management roles.

Source: Wipro Limited. (2024). Wipro’s women inclusion programs featured in UN GCNI’s case study compendium spotlighting companies committed to advancing gender equality.

Aragen Lifesciences

Challenge Identified: Retention of women post-maternity leave, strengthening leadership representation at mid and senior levels, and supporting career transitions across bands.

Intervention: The company has focused on structured retention, leadership development, and career transition initiatives to support women across career stages.

Organisational Levers Used:

Annual gender diversity assessments shared with senior leadership
Role transitions during pregnancy to support continuity
EvolWE Program (Women Executive Development Program) focused on leadership development, mentorship from top leaders, and peer support
Strong management backing for women’s leadership advancement
Employee value proposition: ‘We Invest, We Learn and We Grow’
Band-wise training programs to facilitate career transitions

Impact: Retention rate for women post-maternity leave stands at 90%. 182 women have attended band transition training programs in the current financial year, supporting career mobility and leadership pipeline development.

Source: Confederation of Indian Industry. (2024). Compendium of top organizations excelling in women in STEM.

Infosys

Sector: Information Technology and Consulting Services

Challenge Identified: Strengthening retention of women post maternity leave and enabling progression of women into senior leadership roles.

Intervention used: As a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP), Infosys focused on women’s participation in technology, management and leadership through targeted learning and development interventions.

Organisational Levers:

Infosys implemented a return-to-work post maternity program in fiscal 2024 to support women resuming careers.
Infosys launched the IamtheFuture program under the ESG 2030 Vision, a three-year structured initiative to build leadership and business skills and support women leaders in navigating career progression.

Impact: Infosys provided parental leave to 6,733 men and 7,746 women. 99% of women returned to work post maternity; 74% continued after 12 months. More than 500 women leaders have completed the IamtheFuture program since inception.

Source: Infosys. (2024). ESG report 2023–24: Social.

Also see: NITI Aayog. (2025). From intent to impact: A compendium of good practices on gender parity at workplace. Government of India.

KBR

Sector: Engineering, Technology, and Government Services

Challenge Identified: Improving gender diversity and strengthening advancement pathways for women within a global, technical workforce where leadership representation of women has historically been limited.

Organisational Levers:

KBR launched All In, a global inclusion and diversity community, and ASPIRE, focused on cultivating women leaders.
The company strengthened targeted hiring, mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership development programs supported by succession planning and HRIS talent dashboards. Initiatives include internal career mobility programs, partnerships with organisations such as Catalyst and the American Management Association, scholarships, mentoring circles, and leadership training to build women’s progression into management roles.

Impact: Women’s representation across workforce, senior management, and executive management increased from 17% in 2021 to 24% in 2023.

Source: KBR, Inc. (2023). Sustainability and corporate responsibility report 2023.

L&T Precision Engineering and Systems

Sector: Engineering / Manufacturing

Challenge Identified: Creating a DEI workplace that supports women employees in their professional and personal lives, particularly during maternity and early childcare stages.

Intervention: L&T Precision Engineering and Systems encourages the creation of an inclusive workplace. To encourage women employees, an umbrella initiative called “WINSPIRE” was started at L&T corporate in 2020-21.

Organisational Levers Used:

Wellness Rooms: Available at respective office locations comprising of a large sofa with cushions, chairs, curtains, side table, plug points and one small refrigerator. At L&T PES all 7 locations have Wellness rooms.
Ergonomically Designed Chair: Provision of ergonomically designed chair with back support for all pregnant women (if not already available at her workplace), which she can continue to use on resuming from maternity leave. This facility has been made available at all work centres of L&T PES.
Travelling on Official Tour with Child: When a female employee with a child below 3 years of age is required to travel on official duty, she may be authorised to bring her child, accompanied by a designated companion (e.g., nanny/relative). The Company will cover the travel expenses and accommodation for both the child and the accompanying person.
Crèche Reimbursement: In situations where an In-house Company Crèche facility is unavailable or too far away in a specific location, female employees are entitled to crèche reimbursement. L&T PES has crèche facilities at all locations, with four locations actively utilising the facility.
Introduction of Menstrual Leave: Based on feedback received from female employees working at the shop floors, project sites, L&T recognised the need for a more supportive approach to women’s health at the workplace. Consequently, L&T introduced Menstrual Leave, allowing women employees to take a day off every month. A simple, confidential process has been set up to ensure that women can avail menstrual leave with dignity and without unnecessary formalities.

Impact: 765 women have been part of the WINSPIRE Leadership Series, customised for different career stages since the launch of this programme. Wellness rooms established across all 7 locations. Ergonomic and maternity-support measures available at all work centres. Crèche facilities available at all locations, supporting working mothers across sites.

Source:Larsen & Toubro Limited. (2025). Integrated Annual Report 2024-25.

Godrej Consumer Products Limited

Sector: FMCG / Manufacturing

Challenge Identified: Underrepresentation of women in manufacturing roles and gaps in infrastructure, safety, and support systems.

Intervention: Launched Godrej Ki Shakti, an Employee Resource Group for women in manufacturing built on three pillars—Enable, Support, Inspire.

Organisational Levers:

Infrastructure and hygiene checklist covering washroom conditions, night shift support, availability of sanitary napkins, daycare facilities, and medical support
Infra-Safety Checklist developed by the DEI team
Quarterly audits by GKS members
Action planning and budgeting with site teams
Structured governance and accountability mechanisms
Buddy Programme for new women joiners
Shakti Circles for connection and support
Hygiene upgrades and DEI collaboration

Impact: Improved site readiness, strengthened safety and hygiene standards, enhanced belonging, and increased retention of women employees.

Source:Godrej Consumer Products Limited. (2024). Inclusion @ Godrej: Godrej Ki Shakti—Empowering women in manufacturing.

Aspire Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd

Sector: Information Technology / STEM

Challenge Identified: Advancing women in STEM and strengthening leadership pipelines while ensuring career continuity after maternity leave.

Intervention: Aspire Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd has a comprehensive vision for advancing women in STEM through a multifaceted approach. By 2030, the company plans to achieve a 50% gender ratio by ensuring 100% return to work for women in STEM after maternity leave.

Organisational Levers:

Support Network - Tulips: Aspire’s dedicated women support network, Tulips, is designed to provide a platform for women to network, learn and grow. Tulips was created to drive not just professional but also personal growth. The group holds quarterly general meetings to provide an opportunity for women employees to meet, network and find career mentors from within Aspire. This initiative has proven to be of great help for women employees, especially those who have just begun their technology careers, helping them navigate the challenges of the IT industry by providing them with the support and guidance needed to thrive and succeed.

Impact: Commitment to 100% return to work for women in STEM after maternity leave.

Source: Chatterjee, R. (2025, May 25). Why are women on the sidelines of India’s $215 bn logistics boom. India Transport & Logistics News.

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