MAM
Social Panga appoints Ketki Karandikar as senior creative director
Mumbai: Social Panga, the integrated creative and digital marketing agency, now part of LS Digital, has appointed Ketki Karandikar as senior creative director for its Mumbai office.
Ketki joins them from Ogilvy Mumbai, where she was the senior creative director, brings over 15 years of experience in the creative & digital space. She holds a diverse and rich background in creative strategy, design and branding.
In her journey of 15 years, Ketki has worked on brands like Colgate Palmolive, Pampers, Mondelez, Stayfree, Marico just to name a few. In her new role at Social Panga Ketki will be responsible for driving the creative vision, developing innovative campaigns and enhancing brand storytelling to deliver impactful results for clients. She will also play a vital role in mentoring and nurturing the agency’s creative talent.
Social Panga, co-founder Gaurav Arora said, “Ketki brings a wealth of creative experience from her time in the mainline industry, seamlessly aligning with the ecosystem we are building. Her approach is a perfect blend of creativity and media-focused marketing, which fits right into our vision. With Ketki on board, our integrated marketing strategy will gain new momentum, and her expertise will further elevate the capabilities of our in-house production team.”
Social Panga, senior creative director Ketki Karandikar said, “As the boundaries of online and offline advertising are fast blurring, Social Panga offered me a fresh perspective to explore. It is always exciting to work with likeminded people and I am looking forward to this new chapter in my career. At Social Panga the energy and enthusiasm are contagious and I cannot wait to use all my learnings and experience to lead the team towards greater success. Keep an eye on us as we are about to take some fun Pangas.”
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.
