MAM
Otis India Elevates World’s Tallest Statue – Statue of Unity
MUMBAI: Otis India is providing the vertical transport solutions for The Statue of Unity, named the world’s tallest statue standing at a height of 182 meters, spread over 20,000 square meters. The statue will have ten Otis elevators, including the high speed Skyrise™ elevator, which will run at a speed of four meters per second (MPS). Otis is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
The massive structure, built by engineering and construction giant, Larsen & Toubro, is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and leader of independent India. Located in the state of Gujarat, it is erected on the river island called Sadhu Bet, facing the Narmada Dam.
Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India laid the statue’s foundation stone in 2013 when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The iron needed for the statue and surrounding structure has been collected from 500,000 Indian farmers who donated their used farming instruments, which led to its name – Statue of Unity.
“The Statue of Unity, apart from being a symbol of national pride, is definitely a tribute to India’s engineering skills and project management abilities,” said L&T CEO & Managing Director, S N Subrahmanyan. “It is also a monumental triumph of teamwork with significant contributions from our architects, engineers, consultants and, of course, contributors of global repute like Otis. Otis has done a commendable job interfacing with L&T’s technical requirements adhering to the demanding schedule to commission the elevators on time. It has been an outstanding effort by its leadership to mobilize resources and put it all together.”
“It is an honour and a privilege for Otis to help elevate the Statue of Unity as it makes history,” said Stephane de Montlivault, president Otis Asia Pacific. “This prestigious project, adds to Otis’ long list of iconic structures that count on Otis, like the Statue of Christ the Redeemer (Brazil, Rio de Janeiro), Eiffel Tower (Paris, France), Burj Khalifa (Dubai, U.A.E), Empire State Building (New York, USA) and Petronas Twin Towers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).”
“Statue of Unity is the nation’s pride and Otis is excited to be part of this stupendous feat.” said Sebi Joseph, president, Otis India. “We are thankful to L&T for choosing Otis to support this challenging project. Otis and L&T teams worked very closely to meet the challenging deadlines.”
The project which caters to visitors, has a public plaza overlooking the Narmada river, food stalls, laser-light and sound show, garden, hotel, convention center, amusement park, research centers, museum as well as a memorial and exhibition hall that focuses on the life and contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
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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.
