Britannia to increase women workforce in its Madurai plant to 70%
Britannia Industries, India’s largest bakery foods company, has announced that it is planning to increase the women workforce at its manufacturing plant in Madurai to 70% by the end of 2024. The company currently employs over 1,400 people, of which 65% comprise women. At a national level, Britannia aims to achieve a total diversity ratio of 50% from the current 41% by end of 2024, by increasing the participation of women in its workforce.
06 Mar 2023 | By Rahul Kumar
The company currently employs over 1,400 people, of which 65% comprise women
Indranil Gupta, head of manufacturing, owned factories, Britannia, said, “Our manufacturing plant in Madurai has women working in diverse roles including engineering, processing, packing, housekeeping, pantry, lab testing, canteen and security. Having a higher representation of women has benefited plant operations by increasing their efficiency. It has also helped reduce attrition while inculcating a sense of belonging among employees. Through our diversity initiatives, our endeavour has been to challenge stereotyped gender roles, while extending a welcoming and safe work environment and fostering a sense of belonging to the individuals’ workplace.”
Diversity is an important pillar of Britannia’s sustainability framework to become a responsible global total foods company. Britannia reviews the progress of its diversity programme every month and measures progress against targets across metrics such as recruitment, engagement, promotion and attrition. The Madurai plant has emerged as a model factory for the company. The plant undertakes several initiatives to build an inclusive workplace including:
- Regular sensitisation of employees via gender intelligence programmes, policy guidelines and annual POSH training
- CCTV cameras that cover the entire premises
- Security personnel (men and women) to ensure the safety of women
- Pickup and drop facility for shifts after sunset, along with well-lit premises