NE BUSINESS BURAU
CHENNAI, NOV 13
Avtar Group, India’s pioneer in workplace diversity and inclusion consulting, hosted the Best of Best (BOB) Conference & Awards 2025 — India’s most respected platform celebrating inclusive workplace culture — at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. The event, held in partnership with Seramount, marked the 10th anniversary of the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) study, a landmark initiative launched in 2016 to benchmark gender inclusion across corporate India.
Dr. Tamizhachi Thangapandian, Member of Parliament (South Chennai Constituency), graced the occasion and presented awards to the winning companies that demonstrated exemplary commitment to gender equity, inclusion, and sustainability.
- Avtar Group’s “Best of Best Conference & Awards 2025” Celebrates 10 Years of BCWI
- MP Dr. Tamizhachi Thangapandian presents awards to India’s Most Inclusive Workplaces
- Women’s leadership representation crosses 20% for the first time among best companies
Over the past decade, Avtar & Seramount’s BCWI study has influenced more than 400 organizations, helping them embed inclusive policies and reimagine leadership. The latest edition revealed a milestone moment — women’s representation in leadership rose to 20%, while overall female workforce participation held steady at 36%, up from 25% in 2016, signaling steady progress toward gender-balanced workplaces.
An Unfiltered Conversation! At the 2025 Avtar & Seramount Best of Best Conference & Awards, an engaging Unfiltered Conversation took the audience on a nostalgic journey through the 10 transformative years of the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) study. pic.twitter.com/W275Gtd42d
— Avtar (@avtarcc) November 12, 2025
They revisited the inspiration behind this one-of-a-kind gender analytics initiative, rooted in the Indian context, and celebrated how each edition of the conference has continued to raise the bar, inspiring companies to push boundaries and accelerate inclusion.
— Avtar (@avtarcc) November 12, 2025
Reflecting on this journey, Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder–President, Avtar Group, said: “Twenty-five years ago, Avtar set out to make inclusion a reality in Indian workplaces. Ten years ago, BCWI became our way to measure that change, to see how intent turns into impact. Today, we celebrate not just statistics but stories — of women who found opportunity, of leaders who chose empathy, and of organizations that turned intent into action.”
Unboxing the Future of Inclusion
Themed “Unbox Inclusion,” BOB 2025 brought together global thought leaders, HR innovators, and inclusion advocates to discuss lighthouse leadership, organizational vitality, and the new meaning of power in today’s workplaces.
Speaking on the evolving paradigm, Dr. Saundarya added: “As AI reshapes work, hybrid teams become the norm, and multiple generations collaborate, inclusion needs a new lens. Unbox Inclusion is about breaking open old ideas and making inclusion part of everyday actions, choices, and conversations. The future belongs to workplaces that make inclusion a daily habit.”
The event also featured an engaging Forum Theatre, encouraging participants to co-create actionable solutions that foster inclusive growth and workforce aspirations.
The conference culminated with the felicitation of the Top 10 Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) 2025, listed alphabetically:
- Accenture Solutions Private Limited
- AXA XL India Business Services Pvt. Ltd
- Cairn Oil and Gas, Vedanta Limited
- EY
- KPMG in India
- Mastercard Incorporation
- Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited
- Procter & Gamble India
- Tech Mahindra Limited
- Wipro Limited