Tata Consultancy Services should soon become the first private sector company in India to employ more than 100,000 women.
According to the company’s 2013-14 annual report, it had 98,122 permanent women employees in its 300,464-strong workforce.
Given the scorching pace at which TCS has been hiring, all indications are that the company may cross the 100,000 figure by the end of the current quarter, said analysts. In Q4, India’s top software exporter reported a net addition of 9,751 professionals. It plans to hire 55,000 people this fiscal year.
“Women account for 26-35 per cent of the overall employee base of IT companies in India. TCS is on the higher side of this band,” said Kunal Sen, Vice-President at Teamlease Services, India’s largest staffing company.
IBM, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Infosys and Wipro, the other large private sector employers of women, are also IT companies.
Women form 32.7 per cent of the overall employee base at TCS today, up from 25 per cent about five years ago, says Ritu Anand, Vice-President and Deputy Head, Global Human Resources, TCS. The company is also the world’s third largest IT employer.
Million-woman workforce According to industry body Nasscom, the IT sector employs over 1 million women.
The $116-billion industry boasts better gender diversity than sectors such as banking (15 per cent of total employee base) and fast moving consumer goods (around 5 per cent), said Kris Lakshmikanth, Founder CEO and Chairman of Headhunters India, a recruitment firm.
Focus on safety With the number of women joining the workforce increasing every year, companies are working hard to ensure their safety and security.
TCS has designed a mobile safety app, which is a must for all employees. It can be used in a crisis to reach a pre-defined number, Anand added.