CII Centre for Women Leadership

Formal skill and leadership development programmes strengthen retention of women in the workplace by enhancing promotion readiness and signalling long-term investment in women’s professional growth.

Formal sponsorship and mentoring programs provide tangible pathways for women to progress to leadership levels.

Select Examples:

Unilever

Sector: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

Challenge Identified: Closing the gender gap across management globally and increasing women’s representation in historically under-represented functions such as Finance, Operations and Supply Chain.

Intervention: The company established and implemented a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion team, Global Diversity Board and network of nearly 100 Diversity & Inclusion Champions, the Gender Appointment Ratio to track senior leaders’ appointment of women. The company also advanced the Unstereotype Alliance convened by UN Women to address harmful stereotypes.

Impact: Achieved 50% women at management level globally (up from 38% in 2010) and 45% women on the non-executive Board. Finance reached 50%, UniOps 47%, and Supply Chain 40% women in management.

Source: Unilever. (2020, March 3). Unilever achieves gender balance across management globally.

Siemens Technology India

Sector: Technology / STEM

Challenge Identified: Creating an inclusive environment that supports the growth and advancement of women in STEM and increasing women’s representation in leadership and recruitment.

Intervention: Siemens Technology India is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that supports the growth and advancement of women in STEM. Siemens intends to achieve 30% diversity in leadership and 35% diversity in recruitment, with a strong focus on hiring women in STEM roles by 2030.

Organisational Levers Used:

Mentoring Program - “Grow to Glow”: This initiative connects women at various career stages with experienced mentors, providing guidance and support. The program has successfully engaged over 200 women, helping them navigate challenges and prepare for leadership roles in STEM.
Diversity Forum: Open to women at all levels, this forum fosters key conversations around gender diversity, allowing participants to share insights, discuss experiences, and address areas for improvement. This collaborative platform encourages women to explore leadership journeys and enhances their diversity initiatives.
Experts Cohort: This initiative sets diversity goals within specialized communities, helping women build clear growth maps for advancing into senior key expert roles or leadership positions in project management.
Their recruitment strategy includes actively seeking out women interns to build a diverse talent pipeline and encourage more women to pursue careers in technology. Women focused recruitment drives and partnerships with academic institutions are key to increasing representation.

Impact: Current workforce diversity ratio of 33%, with stated targets of 30% diversity in leadership and 35% diversity in recruitment by 2030.

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

Tech Mahindra

Sector: Information Technology / Services

Challenge Identified: Elevating the presence of women in management roles and fostering gender diversity and an inclusive leadership environment.

Intervention: Tech Mahindra's Women Leadership Program (WLP) is a transformative journey that is aimed at elevating the presence of women in management roles, with the goal of fostering gender diversity and inclusive leadership environment. With WLP, the leadership development of women associates was accelerated through upskilling and cross-skilling employees across teams.

Organisational Levers Used:

Women Leadership Program (WLP)
Upskilling and cross-skilling across teams
Focus on accelerating leadership development of women associates

Impact: Since the inception of the program in 2018-19, the percentage of women in management levels has improved by 43% in 2022-2023 against 2018-2019. Teams with participating employees saw an increased 20% extra revenue per project, along with 30% savings, contractual ease, next gen operating model with increased resilience.

Source: Tech Mahindra. (2023). Women Leadership Program.

DHL Express India

Sector: Logistics / 3PL

Challenge Identified: Improving gender diversity in leadership and increasing women’s participation in operational roles.

Intervention: DHL Express India improved gender diversity in its leadership, reporting almost one in three members in the senior management team is comprised of women. Globally, DHL has committed to 30% women in management roles, with India contributing through initiatives like unconscious bias training and structured leadership pathways for women.

Organisational Levers Used:

Global commitment to 30% women in management roles
Unconscious bias training
Structured leadership pathways for women
Employment of women couriers with tailored shifts from 8 AM to 3 PM to support work-life balance

Impact: Almost one in three members of the senior management team in India are women. Among women couriers, the attrition rate is less than 2 per cent, reflecting the inclusive culture of the company.

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

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 through continuous focus on leadership pipelines for women in STEM by senior management, and by ensuring 100% return to work for women in STEM after maternity leave.

Organisational Levers Used:

Promotion & Bias Evaluation: Addressing bias in promotions, which the company ensures are evaluated based on performance and potential. Women at Aspire have a higher average hike percentage (9.85%) in comparison with men (8.9%). Women also account for 40.3% of the total promotions at Aspire as of March 2023.
Leadership Pipeline: The company has established a clear leadership pipeline for women, with targeted development programs like Hi-Po and Fast tracker. Through these programs, Aspire identifies and develops the right women talent from within the organizations to be the leaders of tomorrow.
Mentorship Program: Regular sessions by inspiring guest speakers are conducted to encourage women to advance their careers by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to excel.

Impact: Women have a higher average hike percentage (9.85%) compared to men (8.9%), and women account for 40.3% of total promotions as of March 2023

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

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