Tata Steel is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and our progress reflects a deliberate and sustained effort to create a culture where every employee feels valued and empowered. Our initiatives are not just about meeting quotas; they’re about building a future-ready culture that leverages the unique talents of every individual.
Our journey began with the creation of the MOSAIC framework in 2015, a crucial step in establishing a foundation for diversity, equity and inclusion. Since then, we’ve implemented a range of initiatives focusing on recruitment, development, infrastructure, sensitisation, and celebration.
We’ve implemented gender-agnostic hiring practices, ensuring at least 50% gender diversity in recruitment. Special campaigns, like Flames of Change, Tejaswini and Women@Mines, have actively targeted women for roles traditionally held by men, including fire-fighters, HEMM operators, and roles in coke plant operations and mines. We’ve also made significant strides in recruiting individuals from the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities through initiatives like QUEERious and AnantaQuest.
Our commitment to development is evident in the numerous programmes designed to empower women and diverse groups. This includes the Women of Mettle programme, which has seen a significant increase in participation. We’ve also partnered with organisations like XLRI to offer leadership training and mentorship to high-potential women, building a strong pipeline for future leadership roles. Furthermore, we offer various development programmes, including UpSurge and Tata Mentors, to create diverse leadership.
We’ve enhanced our policies to support a more inclusive environment. This includes providing menstrual leave, improved parental benefits, and flexible working arrangements like work-from-home options and a five-day workweek. We’ve also invested in infrastructure such as sanitary pad vending machines and improved facilities for working mothers.
We understand that building an inclusive culture requires conscious effort. We conduct regular unconscious bias training and sensitisation sessions for all employees, leveraging various mediums like town hall meetings, workshops, and departmental council sessions to drive change.
These initiatives have paved results. In September 2023, we onboarded 23 trainees forming the first female firefighter squad in the Indian steel industry. Tata Steel is the first company in India to deploy women in all shifts in mines. In December 2024, we operationalised India’s first all-women shift in an iron ore mine at Noamundi. By March 2024, we had 100 transgenders in our workforce.
Our efforts have been recognised through various awards and accolades. We’ve consistently been ranked among the best employers in India by Great Place to Work and Randstad Employer Brand Research. We have been recognised as a Global DE&I Lighthouse by the World Economic Forum in 2023. Our colleagues, Anjna Tiwari and Bandi Gayatri, were featured among the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining by Women in Mining UK in 2024.
While we’ve made significant strides, our journey towards a truly inclusive workplace is ongoing. Aligned with our theme for this International Women’s Day – Accelerating Action – we remain committed to our goals, constantly evaluating and adapting our strategies to ensure we create a truly diverse and inclusive culture at Tata Steel. Our vision is to have a workplace that reflects the rich diversity of our society, and we remain committed to fostering an environment where every individual can thrive and reach their full potential.
