Target in India named as a Champion of Inclusion in the Working Mother & Avtar Most Inclusive Companies Index 2021

BENGALURU, India, Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Target in India announced that the company has been named a Champion of Inclusion as part of 2021 Working Mother & Avtar Most Inclusive Companies Index.

Target in India was also listed as one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India, and included in the Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 Working Mother & Avtar Best Companies for Women in India study. This is the fifth consecutive year that Target in India has been recognized as one of the the 100 Best Companies for Women in India.

Speaking about the recognition, Bruce Starnes, III, senior vice president and president of Target in India, said, "We are humbled by this recognition. At Target, we embrace diversity as a business imperative and strive to create a more equitable workforce for the long-term. Target in India's workplace policies and development paths are designed to enable women and people with disabilities to succeed at every stage of their career."

As a result of Target in India's efforts and collective focus on building a more diverse and inclusive organisation, more than 40% of the Target in India team is women. The company also has an annual commitment toward impacting the communities it operates in and making them stronger. Target in India launched a number of programs for the empowerment of women, students and people with disabilities, such as:

• Target Udaan, which helps people with disabilities with skill development and training to become self-sufficient as they enter the workforce.
• Target Elevate, a platform for women in technology to learn, network and grow. This has been a significant milestone in the company's inclusion journey.
• Ignite+ (Plus), which helps young women studying STEM subjects become intentional about their career and equips them with technical and soft skills to help them with placements.

Speaking about the study, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group, said, "The Working Mother & Avtar 2021 Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) and Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI) study Index is an assessment for companies to help them plan their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey. The assessment brings forth organizations' continuous improvement in their DEI programs and policies across all levels, making them the best companies to work for all. The annual study also provides opportunity to learn from the largest repository of the best and innovative practices of their fellow organizations. The BCWI-MICI recognition enables companies to celebrate their inclusion commitments and benchmark their diversity, equity inclusion policies and practices."

This is the sixth consecutive year that Avtar is hosting the award and this year's edition. Over 330 companies applied for the award.

About Target in India

U.S.-based Target Corporation serves guests at more than 1,900 stores and at Target.com, with the purpose of helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. Target in India operates as a fully integrated part of Target's global team and has more than 3,000 team members supporting the company's global strategy and operations. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, follow @Target on LinkedIn and @TeamTargetinIndia on Instagram.

About Avtar

Avtar, set up in 2000, is India's first diversity advocate & workplace inclusion expert. Renowned for its extensive work in the space of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and more specifically, women's workforce participation, it is the country's largest provider of second career opportunities for women and is also the earliest to begin working on diversity audits and measurement. Lead by the visionary Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Avtar has ventured into areas of gender inclusion and career creation, which are firsts to India.

Follow Avtar on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Media Contact
Ramya Vishwanath
Director, Communications, Target in India
[email protected]
+91 9880930303