MAM
Shashi Sinha, Vikram Sakhuja join Axis My India advisory board
Mumbai: Consumer data intelligence company Axis My India on Tuesday announced the constitution of a pioneering advisory board with IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha and Madison Media Group CEO Vikram Sakhuja joining the board. Sakhuja is nominated as chairman of the board.
“The company has embarked on an audacious mission of solving the problems of 25 crore Indian households and transforming a billion lives, and the advisory board will serve as the guiding ship to enable the success of these endeavours,” it said in a statement.
“Our company is certainly at an inflection point, as we look to take to fruition some marquee ideas – India’s first offline-online people empowerment platform focused on listening and facilitating resolution of various issues of an everyday Indian, the country’s largest syndicated brand study, Consumer Trust Index, as well as aggressively expanding by engaging with all echelons of industry with our superior data and research offerings,” stated Axis My India CMD Pradeep Gupta. “Shashi and Vikram along with other advisory board members, with their deep understanding of India’s business landscape will be invaluable as guides and mentors as we navigate challenges in our trajectory towards rapid growth and disruption.”
The board’s primary responsibility would be to keep track of the big picture of the organisation, anticipate challenges in the ambitious path and suggest mitigation tools to avoid the same. Board members would also be expected to bring in diversity of thought and action, and help broaden the company’s horizons to engage with constituencies and stakeholders out of its conventional realm, said the statement.
“Axis My India has over the years established itself to be the most accurate psephologist in India. Underlying that is one of the most innovative organisations I have encountered, in terms of their leadership, team and processes,” said Vikram Sakhuja. “As they now roll out more exciting products, they have the potential to provide not only authoritative insights about both Bharat and India, but also create a platform for meaningful dialogue with consumers that can be invaluable for marketers and policy makers. It is my privilege to be able to participate in this journey as an outside-in advisor.”
“There is tremendous innovation and bustling activity coming out of India’s non-metros. India’s small towns and villages will power its rise to an economic powerhouse in the 21st century,” remarked Shashi Sinha. “It is my privilege to be able to engage with Axis My India on its larger vision to empower these communities and to be a part of this exercise underpinned in nation-building.”
Axis My India, recently launched Consumer Trust Index (CTI) which is India’s largest syndicated consumption study measuring current product consumption and future purchase intent across 40 categories with yearly one million+ sample spread across 737 districts. The All-Media Measurement module (AMMS) of CTI will capture media consumption habits across touchpoints – TV, print, OTT, digital, social media, daily used apps, radio, cinema, OOH. As part of CTI, brands will also be able to do media and product consumption linkage analysis.
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.
