Apraava Energy Hosts Roundtable on Women's Inclusion

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Saturday, 14 November 2026

Apraava Energy, in collaboration with Avtar Career Creators, a workplace culture and inclusion consulting firm, has organized the second edition of its DEIB Roundtable under the theme ‘Energy of Inclusion.’ Industry and social impact leaders at the event emphasized that energy companies must look beyond hiring targets to address workplace, cultural and structural challenges that limit women's participation and career growth.

The discussions focused on the need to redesign site-based work arrangements, provide women with greater opportunities in technical positions and establish clearer pathways to leadership roles. Participants also stressed that inclusion should become a core part of everyday business practices rather than remain limited to recruitment initiatives.

The roundtable brought together representatives from the energy, manufacturing and renewable energy industries to discuss ways to strengthen diversity and inclusion across their organizations. Particular attention was given to creating more inclusive workplaces in sectors that involve plant operations, project sites and field-based responsibilities.

Key Highlights:

• Apraava Energy and Avtar hosted the second DEIB Roundtable to promote women's inclusion in the energy sector
• Leaders called for flexible work arrangements and better technical and leadership opportunities for women
• Discussions highlighted inclusion as key to employee retention, safety and business growth

The round table was attended by industry leaders from JSW Group, RPSG, Sprng Energy, Serentica Renewables, Hindalco Industries, Luminous Power Technologies, Senvion India, Axis Energy and Waaree Group, and social impact organisations like Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, TWEET Foundation and Kshamata.

One key conclusion of the discussions was that going beyond representation to address the conditions that underlie women's experience during the course of their careers is critical for meaningful inclusion. These encompass access to technical and operational positions, the obligations of site-based employment, potential for skill acquisition and career progression to leadership.

A common opportunity for the energy sector is creating work environments that fit the operational needs of the energy industry and attract, retain and promote more women. Inclusion is not a line item in the P&L, rather it is behind every line in the P&L, Managing Director Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Apraava Energy said.

It's about providing access to the best talent, about the people staying, about them feeling heard and empowered to have a voice, and most importantly about them feeling safe. All these are measurable to a large degree. Inclusion needs to be considered with the same attention like plant load factor, operational performance and safety.

Representation is an outcome; the real work is to create workplaces in which women can create meaningful and long-term careers is what we need to do, say Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Managing Director, Avtar Career Creators. For the energy industry, it entails creating a workplace that is accessible and productive, and giving women the chance to advance.

There are business reasons why we need to be inclusive – because it helps us to become more innovative and more customer-friendly – but it needs to be personal, seen in the decisions we make and the opportunities we provide for individuals to be successful.”

Three areas of focus emerged from the discussions that could support energy companies to improve inclusion in the workplace. These are reinventing flexibility of site operations and planning, providing predictable movements, safe transport, appropriate workplace equipment and technology solutions to enhance the accessibility of operational roles to meet business needs.

Equitable access to technical assignments, mentoring, leadership opportunities, and supportive workplace practices were also identified as important factors that influence women's professional development, as well as addressing barriers to career advancement. Also, increasing opportunities for technical positions and ongoing professional development was seen as a key chance to build talent assets and pave the way for more inclusive career paths.

The DEIB roundtable also explored the connection between inclusion and business performance, focusing on the importance of inclusion for talent retention, workplace safety and employee engagement. These discussions highlighted the importance of working together between business and social impact groups to bridge the gap between job inclusion and community needs.