Give to Gain’ in Action: Dr. Shilpa on Setting Tangible Inclusion Benchmarks

Rendezvous With Dr. Shilpa Kabra Maheshwari Group CHRO, Amara Raja Group

Dr. Shilpa Kabra Maheshwari is currently working with Amara Raja Group as Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), where she leads the Group HR function across businesses. She brings extensive HR leadership experience spanning Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy, Technology, Hospitality, and Financial Services sectors, having managed large and diverse workforces of over 20,000 employees across listed companies, matrixed multinational corporations, and promoter-led organisations.

She began her career with Gujarat Gas Financial Services and has since worked with leading organisations, including Marriott International, Hyatt International, Jindal Stainless Limited, and National Engineering Industries Limited. Prior to joining Amara Raja Group, she was with Siemens Limited.

Shilpa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Faculty of Management Studies Udaipur. She also earned a PhD in Human Resources and Leadership Development from Amity University Noida and is a certified coach, trainer, and assessment centre assessor.

Q1. Having recently joined Amara Raja Group, what are your early priorities in advancing the “Give to Gain” philosophy for women across the organisation?

My initial priority is to strengthen the foundation that Amara Raja has already built toward women’s participation and leadership. “Give to Gain” is a philosophy that aligns naturally with our culture, which is to say that when we invest in people, we unlock exceptional business value.

Over the past few years, Amara Raja has made measurable strides in this segment, starting from having close to 5,700 women colleagues with visible progress at the shop floor, executive, and senior leadership levels. Also, looking at various support ecosystems from regulatory compliance mandates to developing various women-centric programs, the group has made significant progress.

Now that I have joined as the Group CHRO, the focus will be on building on this momentum. On top will be to expand the women-centric capability-building platforms such as the Women Leadership Development Program, strengthening forums like the Women Open Forum and others, which allow women to voice concerns and shape real improvements.

Other than this, the focus will be on enhancing the support ecosystem, our hostels, crèche facilities, medical check-ups, maternity support, and POSH structures which are already strong pillars, and we want to scale them further.

Reinforcing DEIB learning across leadership teams to make inclusion a shared responsibility, not a siloed initiative. Ultimately, my priority will be to ensure every woman at Amara Raja has equal access to opportunities, visibility, and strategic roles.

Q2. How can leaders “give” opportunities, sponsorship, and trust to unlock greater business and talent outcomes?

Leaders can “give” in powerful ways – through trust, sponsorship, advocacy, and by opening pathways that women may not always feel encouraged to pursue. Some ways leaders can amplify this is through different ways – one is to actively sponsor women for future-ready roles across manufacturing, mobility, energy, and digital businesses.

Second is by building a culture where women’s voices are welcomed in strategic conversations, for example, in Amara Raja, we foster this culture through our cross-functional Spectrum Alliance, which drives Diversity, Equality, Inclusion & Belongingness across all businesses.

Other ways of giving opportunities to women is by challenging assumptions, enabling women to take on stretch assignments, and supporting them through systemic and personal barriers. I believe that when leaders role‑model inclusion, it cascades across teams and significantly boosts innovation, productivity, and retention.

Q3. What structural changes can help women in manufacturing and core sectors gain stronger leadership representation?

Manufacturing traditionally demands deliberate infrastructure, policy support, and thoughtful enablers for women to grow. Some of the most impactful shifts include creating supportive physical infrastructure like hostels, crèches, wellness programs, and safe transportation.

Equally important are transparent diversity‑focused hiring policies, strong POSH frameworks, and flexible work arrangements during life stages like maternity.

Amara Raja in the last 40 years, has made significant progress in this space. We have purpose-built hostels and residential support, allowing women from various regions to work comfortably across our plants, especially in Tirupati and Chittoor.

Safe and hygienic workplace amenities, from separate rest areas to medical rooms, menstrual health support, and dedicated women’s facilities. The company also has a robust POSH ecosystem, including a structured ICC at every location and 98% completion of mandatory e-learning.

In addition, creating opportunities across functions are also essential to attract women and, more importantly, to retain and grow them into leadership roles.

Q4. How do you see mentorship and cross-functional exposure accelerating women’s growth journeys?

Mentorship gives women clarity and confidence; cross-functional exposure gives them breadth and experience. Together, they are powerful accelerators. Mentorship helps women navigate career decisions, overcome self‑doubt, and build networks. Exposure to diverse functions prepares them for strategic roles, builds business understanding, and enhances leadership readiness.

At Amara Raja, our mentorship programs such as the CII IWN Mentoring Programme and internal leadership development initiatives, women get access to senior leaders, guidance on navigating career decisions, and clarity on long-term aspirations. Similarly, cross-functional exposure through plant rotations, corporate project assignments, supply chain and R&D collaborations gives women the business breadth they need to prepare for P&L and strategic leadership roles.

Q5. In your first year, what measurable inclusion outcomes would define success under the “Give to Gain” approach?

Success for me will be defined by a balanced mix of representation, experience, and enabling structures. Some outcomes I would consider meaningful are an increase in the percentage of women across supervisory, middle management, and leadership roles.

At Amara Raja, we will be looking at higher participation of women in technical upskilling, digital training, and leadership programs, activation of Women Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) across all Business Units, with clear charters and measurable action plans, and stronger engagement scores reflecting safety, belongingness, trust, and voice.

In addition, a visible progress within the Spectrum Alliance initiatives, showing how teams are embedding DEIB behaviors into day-to-day operations, and faster closure of systemic issues raised through Women Open Forum and Change Action Teams.

These outcomes will tell us that “Give to Gain” is not just a philosophy but that it is becoming a cultural strength.

Q6. Any final comments?

Amara Raja has always stood for opportunity, merit, and empowerment. We’re committed to building a workplace where women feel safe, respected, heard, and supported to achieve their fullest potential.

This journey is ongoing, but the commitment is unwavering. Because when women grow, Amara Raja grows stronger.

Thank you, Shilpa!

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