Beyond Equality and Towards Equity: International Women’s Day 2023

At HCCB, diversity, equity, and inclusivity are the cornerstones of our employee value proposition. 

Our women employees have set benchmarks on the shop floor with our Sanand and Siliguri factories, but we also realize that there is still work to be done to achieve gender equality.

As we work to #EmbraceEquity this International Women’s Day, we are committed to doing more to support women and create an environment where they can thrive and succeed

The hurdles on the ladder to success

Women in manufacturing face their own unique challenges, including but not limited to gender bias, stereotypes, and a lack of representation in leadership positions. As India’s leading beverage manufacturer, we realise the importance of addressing unconscious bias, promoting diversity and inclusion, and creating policies that support work-life balance and career development for all employees. Better gender representation is good for our workplace culture, our professional and personal growth, as well as the financial bottom line. 

This is why we are committed to addressing these hurdles with a Women Inspired Network, known as WIN, to help women reach and realize their full potential.

Everybody wins with WIN

At HCCB we are creating opportunities for women to connect, learn from each other, and grow professionally. Our Women Inspired Network (WIN) program does exactly that. It enables women across HCCB to network, share experiences and build meaningful relationships with each other. 

The WIN program is built on a four-pronged framework of career growth; work-life integration, mentoring & coaching, and networking & collaboration. This framework is further defined into 6 key focus areas that include creating individual development opportunities, exponential experience, capability-building opportunities, wellness, nurturing a growth mindset, and an engaged workplace.  

As a leading beverage manufacturer, we are proud to be part of the movement towards progress with WIN and to empower women within our company and communities. 

#EmbraceEquity

This year, HCCB is celebrating International Women’s Month under the theme #EmbraceEquity. The Women’s Inspired Network (WIN) at HCCB has planned a series of sessions, webinars, and workshops across locations this month.

An important aspect of this campaign is to promote the importance of #Menasallies in the workplace. A session was recently conducted for the HCCB employees, by Rajesh Bhatt, the founder of Iron Lady (An initiative —Preparing a Million Women to LEAD) to promote the role of gender equity and the importance of male allyship in creating a more equitable workplace. Similarly, webinars on embracing equity and interactive workshops on discussing equity and bias have been developed. Creating awareness about implicit bias, the workshop provides tools on how to overcome them and create an environment where every employee is valued and has the opportunity to succeed. 

The activities designed for International Women's Day 2023, also add value to the women in the communities where HCCB operates – by supporting self-help groups, helping improve the economic livelihood of these women, and also contributing to the development of their communities.

Women in the factory - A journey that began 26 years ago

Taking concrete action is key to creating real change because ultimately it is our actions that speak louder than words. 

Considering this, HCCB built its first fully digital factory in Sanand that would employ 40% of women on the shop floor, in 2018 - A first for any beverage company in India. 4 years after Sanand, HCCB commissioned its first vertical beverage-making factory and is the only one to employ more than 66% women in 2022 – another engineering marvel. Encouraged by the outcomes, we are now on our way to building a factory in Telangana at Bandathimmpur, which will employ at least 50% women. This factory will be ready by December 2023.

We believe that promoting women’s leadership in our workplaces can inspire a new generation of leaders and contribute to a more equitable and empowered society. 

An ongoing commitment to an equitable future

As we celebrate International Women's Day at HCCB, we're reminded of the important role women play in business, from the boardroom to the factory floor.

By embracing equity and creating a supportive workplace culture, we can tap into the full potential of our female employees and drive growth and innovation across the company. We are proud to stand with our colleagues and partners in the fight for gender equality and are committed to continuing to do our part in building a more just and equitable world.