PRNewswire
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 21: Godrej Agrovet Limited (Godrej Agrovet), a diversified R&D-focused food and agri-business conglomerate, announced the launch of Disha, a Women's Career Accelerator Programme, at the third edition of its Women in Agriculture Summit, reaffirming the company's commitment to building an inclusive and future-ready agri talent ecosystem.
India's agricultural sector is undergoing a significant transformation with productivity, sustainability, and rural income growth emerging as national priorities. However, a persistent structural gap continues to limit the sector's potential - the underrepresentation of women in formal agribusiness roles. While women contribute 60-80% of agricultural labour force and constitute 30-50% of students across agricultural education, they account for only 6-10% representation in agri companies and under 13% in leadership roles. The challenge, therefore, is not participation, but transition.
Speaking on the launch, Sunil Kataria, MD & CEO, Godrej Agrovet, said, "India's agri and allied sectors is at a pivotal point, with ambitions to drive sustainable growth, productivity and rural prosperity. Nurturing industry ready talent will be central to this potential. Through Disha, we are strengthening the pipeline of skilled women professionals, well prepared to take on meaningful roles and support a sector on which nearly 50 percent of our country's population depends."
The Disha Programme, a CSR initiative by Godrej Agrovet, is a focused career-accelerator designed to strengthen employability among women pursuing B.Sc. Agriculture and allied disciplines. Conceptualized as a campus-to-corporate finishing school, the programme equips women graduates with industry-relevant skills across sales, communication, professional readiness and confidence building, enabling a smoother transition from education to formal agri careers. Disha is being implemented in partnership with 1M1B Foundation and Ikka Learning Foundation.
"Since its pilot phase across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, Disha has engaged over 276 women students, with several participants progressing into industry roles at various organisations including Hindustan Coca-Cola, GRB Dairy Foods, Jubilant Foodworks and more," addedSunil Kataria.
Commenting on the Disha programme, Pakzan Dastoor, Head - Sustainability & CSR, Godrej Industries Group, added, "At Godrej Industries Group, inclusion is central to how we build and grow. Disha is a reflection of this commitment - enabling women to transition into formal agri-industry and access meaningful employment opportunities. This pilot underscores the power of partnerships, and we are proud to see over 33% women already placed across agri-industry roles, with many more to follow."
The company has been taking a deliberate, integrated approach to strengthening women participation across its own value chain. Over the past two years, women's representation within the company has increased from 8 percent to ~15 percent, reflecting a shift from intent to measurable outcomes.
"Building a strong and inclusive workforce requires sustained investment across the talent lifecycle. At Godrej Agrovet, we enable women from early-career entry through to leadership progression. Initiatives like Disha alongside our broader hiring and development programmes, reflect our commitment to creating a meaningful career pathway and building a resilient, future-ready workforce," said Mallika Mutreja, CHRO, Godrej Agrovet.
The launch of Disha also advances Godrej Agrovet's broader commitment to nurture 1 lakh women across the agri-sector for improved employment opportunities and economic upliftment. To date, the company has reached 63.3k women through skilling, scholarships, early-career programmes, and leadership initiatives.
This integrated approach includes initiatives such as WINGS for early-career exposure, Women in Sales and Manufacturing Circles for peer learning and retention, and RISE, a leadership development programme aimed at accelerating women into senior roles. Additionally, following the launch of Godrej Agrovet Women in Agriculture Scholarship to empower students pursuing agricultural studies and fostering the next generation of women leaders last year, this year, company honored six students.
The summit also featured a panel discussion on the need for industry-wide collaboration to build a strong women talent pipeline in agriculture. The discussion brought together leaders from industry and ecosystem partners, including Manav Subodh, Founder & CEO - 1M1B, learning partner for Disha Program; Sruthi Kunnel, Founder & CEO - Ikka Learning Foundation, learning partner for Disha Program; and Ravikumar D., Head - Human Resources, Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited; who underscored the importance of coordinated efforts across education, skilling, hiring, and career progression to unlock women's full participation in the formal agri economy.
The panel concluded that scalable and employer-led interventions are critical to ensuring women are not only educated but also equipped to build long-term careers in agriculture and allied sectors.
About Godrej Agrovet
At Godrej Agrovet, part of the Godrej Industries Group, we craft abundance through innovation that empowers farmers and nourishes our nation. We are one of India's leading food and agri businesses, with a presence across Animal Feed, Crop Protection, Dairy, Food, and Oil Palm, serving farmers and partners across the agricultural value chain.
We are the number one producer of crude palm oil in India and the leading player in animal feed, contributing to food security and farmer livelihoods. Sustainability is at the core of how we operate. We are recognised as a leader, with a CDP A- rating across Climate, Forests, and Water, and as the first agri company in India with an SBTi-approved emission reduction target.
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