Конкурс Godrej DEI Lab призывает студентов разработать программы возвращения женщин к работе после перерыва

Godrej DEI Lab, the diversity, equity, and inclusion arm of the Godrej Industries Group, has brought back India Included on Campus, a unique DEI-focused case study competition, for its second edition. Expanding the competition to eight of India’s leading management institutes, including Indian School of Business and IIT Bombay, the second edition brought the challenge to IIT Delhi. This year's case study challenge focuses on women’s returnship programmes, inviting students to develop practical solutions to help women return to the workforce after a career break for marriage, motherhood, or caregiving responsibilities. A recent study, “The Missing Half,” (2026), found that 74% of educated women in India have taken a career break at some point in their careers. Yet, structured pathways for experienced women to re-enter the workforce remain limited, making returnships an increasingly important part of the talent conversation for organisations. The challenge aims to encourage students to look at how organisations can create pathways that support women through different stages of their careers and broadly work on an approach to building diverse workplaces. Bhavya Mishra, Chief Human Resources Officer, Godrej Capital, said: “The way we respond to a career break says a lot about how we define talent. If we view uninterrupted career progression as the only measure of capability, we risk overlooking professionals who bring valuable experience, resilience and perspective. Returnship programmes play an important role in helping experienced women re-enter the workforce through structured pathways for learning, growth and long-term career progression. For organisations, the opportunity goes beyond filling roles. It is about building stronger and more diverse leadership pipelines for the future. By bringing this challenge to students through India Included on Campus, we are encouraging the next generation of leaders to think about how workplaces can be designed to unlock the full potential of talent at every stage of life and career.” Parmesh Shahani, Head, Godrej DEI Lab and author of Queeristan, added: "We cannot talk about women’s participation in the workforce without addressing what happens when careers take a different path. Whether due to motherhood, caregiving responsibilities, or other life transitions, a career break should not become a barrier to meaningful employment. At Godrej Industries, we are rethinking how returnship programmes can better support women re-entering the workforce, through initiatives such as our research collaboration with CEDA at Ashoka University and broader efforts to create pathways that enable women to return with confidence and purpose. India Included on Campus is another important step in that journey. It gives young minds an opportunity to engage with a real workforce challenge, contribute fresh perspectives, and help shape more inclusive workplaces for the future.