MAM
Star Plus hops on to the IPL bandwagon
MUMBAI: Star Plus, Star India’s flagship Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), has signed on as the official on-ground associate sponsor of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) as it seeks to keep its numero uno position intact by riding on the popularity of the tournament.
With Star Plus on-board, the BCCI will also heave a sigh of relief as it was having a tough time in filling the on-ground sponsorship slots left vacant by the exit of Hero MotoCorp, Citi, Karbonn Mobiles and Volkswagen. The BCCI has now locked in three associate sponsors which includes Vodafone, Yes Bank and Star Plus in addition to title sponsor Pepsi.
According to a top sports marketing executive, the sponsorship deal between Star Plus and BCCI is in the region of Rs 300 to Rs 350 million annually.
This is not the first time a television channel has used IPL to reach out to its audience. Last year, Star India’s newly launched Hindi GEC Life OK had associated with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to raise its brand awareness.
“We are happy to be associated with the IPL primarily to drive our flagship channel, Star Plus. We saw a great opportunity to use this platform to communicate our brand promise of “Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi”. We are also very keen to deepen what is
already a strong relationship with the BCCI. The power of Star‘s platform is unique and we are keen to leverage this to support BCCI’s efforts to increase the reach and popularity of IPL,” said Star India CEO Uday Shankar.
“Since its inception in 2008, the tournament has provided a platform to organisations, which are as passionate about achieving and maintaining standards of excellence as the IPL itself. Star India belongs to this elite fraternity. We look forward to a fruitful association with them,” said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla.
The Pepsi IPL 2013 will be played from 3 April to 26 May. Nine teams will play each other twice – at home and away, in a total of 72 league matches. The top four teams, in terms of points, at the end of the league stage on 19 May will qualify for the Playoffs. The final will be played on 26 May at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
