Mumbai, Nov 05, 2026: Companies in the energy sector need to move beyond hiring targets and address operational, cultural, and structural barriers to boost women’s participation as well as long-term career progression, said industry and social impact leaders during the second edition of the DEIB Roundtable (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging). 

Themed ‘Energy of Inclusion’, the DEIB Roundtable was recently hosted in Mumbai by Apraava Energy Private Limited, an integrated energy solutions provider, in partnership with Avtar Career Creators Limited, a workplace culture and inclusion solutions firm. The leaders also highlighted the need to rethink site-based work arrangements, expand women’s access to technical roles, and create stronger pathways to leadership, while making inclusion an integral part of everyday business decisions. 

The roundtable brought together leaders from the energy, manufacturing, and renewable energy sectors to explore how organisations can embed inclusion into everyday work, particularly in environments defined by plant operations, project sites, and field responsibilities. The roundtable saw participation from industry leaders representing JSW Group, RPSG, Sprng Energy, Serentica Renewables, Hindalco Industries, Luminous Power Technologies, Senvion India, Axis Energy and Waaree Group, alongside social impact organisations including Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, TWEET Foundation and Kshamata. 

A central takeaway from the discussions was that meaningful inclusion must extend beyond representation to address the conditions that shape women's experiences throughout their careers. These include access to technical and operational roles, the demands of site-based work, opportunities for skill development, and pathways to leadership. For the energy sector, a shared opportunity lies in designing workplaces that meet operational requirements while enabling more women to enter, stay and advance in their careers. 

Highlighting the importance of inclusion as a business metric, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Managing Director, Apraava Energy Private Limited, said, “Inclusion may not be a line item in the P&L, but it is behind every line in the P&L. It is about whether we create access to the best talent, whether people choose to stay, whether they feel heard and empowered to have a voice, and, above all, whether they feel safe. All of these aspects are very much measurable. We must look at inclusion with the same focus as we apply to plant load factor, operational performance, and safety." 

Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Managing Director, Avtar Career Creators Limited, said, “Women’s representation is an outcome; the real work lies in building workplaces where women can foster meaningful, long-term careers. In the energy sector, which means making sites liveable and workable, and ensuring women have access to opportunities that help them progress. Inclusion has clear business benefits, from innovation to customer satisfaction, but it must also become personal, reflected in the choices we make and the opportunities we create for people to succeed.” 

The discussions identified three key areas where energy companies can strengthen workplace inclusion: 

 • Rethinking flexibility in site-based operations: Predictable shifts, safe transportation, suitable facilities, and technology-enabled monitoring to make operational roles more accessible while meeting business requirements. 

 • Addressing barriers to career progression: Equitable access to technical assignments, mentoring and leadership opportunities, along with supportive workplace practices, is essential to enabling women's career growth. 

 • Building stronger talent pipelines and industry collaboration: Expanding access to technical roles, continuous learning and partnerships with social impact organisations can help create more inclusive career pathways. 

The DEIB roundtable also examined the relationship between inclusion and business performance, with discussions highlighting its relevance to talent retention, workplace safety, and employee engagement. The conversations reinforced the need for collaboration between businesses and social impact organizations to connect workplace inclusion with broader community needs. 

As India's energy sector expands, attracting and retaining talent from a wider pool will be increasingly important. The insights from the roundtable underline that progress will depend not only on bringing more women into the workforce, but also on creating the working conditions, opportunities, and support systems that enable them to build sustainable careers. 

Apraava Energy is one of India’s leading integrated energy solutions providers headquartered in Mumbai. It is jointly owned by the CLP Group, one of the largest investor owned power businesses in Asia and La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), a global investment group. 

Founded in 2002, Apraava has evolved from being a single-asset business to a forward looking, climate conscious organisation spread across 15 states and UTs in India. Its portfolio comprises over 2 GW of installed capacity which includes ~1,200 MW of wind and 250 MW of solar energy projects, three power transmission assets (~1,000 ckm; 3,500 MVA substation capacity) and ~4 million installed smart meters. 

In addition, five greenfield transmission projects (~1,580 ckm of transmission lines and ~18,000 MVA substation capacity), a wind project (300 MW) and two solar projects (550 MW) are under construction. The company is currently executing orders of 6 million+ smart meters in Assam, Gujarat, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh. 

The company aims to invest in low-carbon growth areas, including renewable energy, power transmission and distribution, as well as other non-generation, customer-focused energy businesses. 

Apraava is proud to be certified as a Great Place To Work® for the third consecutive year (Dec 2025 – Dec 2026), reflecting its commitment to fostering a workplace built on trust, performance, and positivity. In 2024, the company was also featured among the Top LinkedIn Companies in India. 

For more information, please visit: www.apraava.com

Press Contact:

Apraava Energy Madhurima Gupta Jain E: madhurima.jain@apraava.com

Edelman India Varsha Balakrishnan E: varsha.balakrishnan@edelman.com

About Avtar Career Creators Limited 

Avtar Career Creators Limited, founded in 2000 by Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, is one of India’s leading workplace culture consulting firms, supporting hundreds of companies in building diverse and supportive workplaces. Avtar is also the country’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women. 

An ISO 20700 certified firm, Avtar’s largest research initiatives are its annual benchmarking studies, the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) and the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI). Conducted in partnership with Seramount, BCWI and MICI are India’s largest workplace inclusion benchmarking studies and have helped advance the employment of more women and other underrepresented groups. Avtar also promotes inclusive hiring through MyAvtar, India’s first job portal for underrepresented professionals. 

A snapshot of Avtar’s work over the last 25 years: 

 • Provided advisory services on inclusive practices to 800+ organizations 
 • Conducted 5,000+ workshops and training programs for companies of varying sizes, across industries and locations 
 • Facilitated the return of 100,000 second-career women to the workforce through MyAvtar.com 
 • Offered specialized skilling programs such as DigiPivot, a digital marketing course delivered in partnership with Google, HUL and ISB, to hundreds of women 
 • Provided career intentionality training, employment guidance and access to industry leaders to 10,000+ girls from underserved communities each year through Project Puthri, an initiative of the Avtar Human Capital Trust (AHCT) 
 • Engaged 4,000+ schoolboys through MITR (Men Impacting Trust and Respect), an AHCT initiative that mentors boys to become advocates for women 

In recognition of its impact in the field of workplace inclusion, Avtar Group was named to the Steward Leadership 25 Listing by The Straits Times and INSEAD in Singapore in 2022. In 2025, Avtar received the Times Business Award for Leading Women’s Employment Organization. 

To learn more, visit www.avtarcc.com | www.myavtar.com | www.puthri.org | www.ahct.org.in