MAM
Srinivasan K Swamy inducted as trustee in STACA Trust
Mumbai: RK Swamy Hansa Group chairman and a leader in the marcom industry, Srinivasan K Swamy was inducted as trustee in the Standing Committee on Advertising (STACA) Trust meeting held recently. STACA is the apex body whose operating arm is the Advertising Council of India (ACI).
ACI is well-known in the advertising world as the organisation which had organised AdAsia in Jaipur 2003 and in New Delhi in 2011. It also sponsors young industry professionals for self-development in the widely acclaimed ‘fast-track’ program of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Srinivasan Swamy is a well-known advertising leader who had been associated with various prestigious industry associations globally – world president of the New York-based International Advertising Association (the first Indian to hold this position), President of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), President of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India, Vice Chairman of Asian Federation of Advertising Agencies, to mention a few,” said STACA Trust chairman Ramesh Narayan. “Mr Swamy’s grasp of industry matters and his enthusiasm for exploring new frontiers will go a long way in promoting the cause of the marcom space through STACA Trust and ACI.”
STACA Trust was set up in 1981 as a public charitable trust. Its main objective is to impart education in advertising, marketing, and allied subjects. Besides, the trust organises various activities to promote growth & development of advertising and marketing and to promote better understanding amongst all the constituents in the field of advertising.
“It’s an honour for me to be inducted as STACA trustee. I will do my best for this position and match the stature of some of the earlier trustees – Pradeep Guha, Gautam Rakshit, Dr Ram Tarneja, etc, and guide to upgrade the skills of advertising professionals so that our young people match the best in the world and bring laurels to our industry as well as the country,” Swamy stated. “My main emphasis will be on public service communication, which is the need of the hour and I look forward to supporting from media houses for these societal issues. It is important to activate ACI as the platform for all major industry bodies, which it is.”
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.
