“If we continue at the present pace of adopting gender parity, it will take us all of 5 generations to achieve our goal,” cautioned Mrs. Meena Subrahmanyan, President – Prayas Trust, emphasizing the need for accelerated action in DEI adoption. Her audience was 600+ vibrant women, who in their elements packed the multipurpose hall, AMN Tower, Mumbai, on 6 March, with another 6,000+ connected virtually, to celebrate International Women’s Day in the company of Mr. S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman & Managing Director, L&T; and a host of other senior leaders. Where there are women, there is power promised the backdrop against which unfolded the various events that reflected positive energy, enthusiasm, and happiness of sharing.
In Her Element
The event was based on the theme of In Her Element, a powerful concept capturing the essence of a woman, embodying her strength, passion, and purpose, signifying her confident alignment with her true self, embracing her talents, values, and abilities. An evocative film brought the theme alive based on the 5 elements: Earth – which symbolized strength, grounding, and resilience; Water – which represented fluidity, adaptability, and depth; Fire – reflecting passion, transformation, and energy; Air – which stood for freedom, intellect, and change; and Space – which embodies a sense of freedom, independence, and limitless potential. Featuring women from 17 business units of L&T, the film highlighted their resilience, strength, balance, creativity, and perseverance with graceful dance movements set to rhythmic music.
A poetic tribute to women, composed and rendered by Mr. A L Sekar, Advisor to CMD, HCI Business, set the context for Ms. Poonam Chandok, Vice President & Head – HR, L&T Energy Hydrocarbon, to share about the ground covered thus far by L&T in its DEI journey, aptly describing it “from reading the book to being in the book” and celebrating L&T’s recognition as among the 100 Best Companies for Women in India by AVTAR. Dr. C Jayakumar, CHRO, then elaborated on the several milestones already achieved, including women participation hitting 47% in SSC, 25% in EDRC, and 20% in offices, while acknowledging that although overall it was still at 9% levels.
A panel discussion moderated by Ms. Uma Srinivasan, JGM & Head – Talent Acquisition, Heavy Civil Infrastructure IC, followed based on accelerating action to create an inclusive, diverse, and empowering environment for women’s development.
SNS then launched DEI Showcase, a virtual platform, highlighting the collaborative efforts of various ICs to showcase their year-round work promoting DEI, after which the DEI Ally Awards were given away, recognizing the efforts of several DEI Champions to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, and foster a more inclusive environment.
Focusing on the significant role of women in driving innovation and positive societal impact, Mrs. Subrahmanyan, in her address, cited Prayas Trust’s social welfare initiatives for the underprivileged, stressing the importance of safe and inclusive digital spaces. She called on men to be empathetic and supportive, and urged women to prioritize self-care, even if it meant saying ‘no’ at times.
In a light-hearted address delivered in his own inimitable style, SNS praised the women he was working with, highlighting their achievements, emphasizing the need for an ecosystem supporting working women, with the required policy changes. Commending the WINSPIRE programme, he advocated for more female mentors to groom younger women. His announcement of a one-day paid menstrual leave, in response to suggestions from a women employee, brought the roof down.
Even as the evening ended, Dr CJK’s words remained that women were no more part of the story but were shaping it, creating opportunities to rise and excel.
