MAM
Percept Talent Management to tap into CommonWealth Games winners
MUMBAI: Percept Talent Management (PTM), the celebrity management division of Percept, is looking to cash in on the increase in brand value of athletes who have won medals at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games (CWG).
PTM CEO Rajnish Sahay says that he is talking to 16 medal winners in the CWG across different disciplines to represent them for among other things endorsements. One of them is Saina Nehwal who is said to command Rs 10 million an endorsement. “We already represent Sushil Kumar, Vijender Singh, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa. We will sign up deals for Kumar for a variety of products.”
Kumar recently did a deal with the National Egg Co-ordination Committee.
Deals between PTM and the athletes will be for three to five years. “Health, sports, fitness and lifestyle brands will be the ones most interested in associating with these athletes. Our job is to manage PR, appearances, events that sportspeople that we represent feature in. We will also look after their digital rights,” says Sahay.
In terms of working with Indian sports federations to create more visibility for sports, Sahay says that they are talking to the Indian wrestling federation. The aim will be to have a grassroots programme as well as entertainment sports events featuring Indian and international stars. Percept will look at badminton and shooting.
The challenge for any of the medal winners of the Commonwealth Games will be to maintain visibility across the year. “It cannot be that after the Asian Games the athlete disappears from the scene. They have to perform at an international level. They have to be visible in the media regularly. If it is just a one off then the sponsor who has done a one year deal might not get the desired value,” an analyst says.
According to Sahay, the coverage of non cricket has grown especially if an Indian participant does well. “Things are changing in this respect. The push that Percept will give to different sports will also help give the athletes visibility. There are also international events that take place regularly,” Sahay says.
Brands
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.
