Bengaluru, May, 2024: Avtar Group, India’s leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Solutions firm, hosted the myAvtar Career Conference (MACC) at Karnataka Trade Promotion Organization (KTPO), Bengaluru today.

myAvtar Career Conference (MACC), the career extravaganza brought together inclusive companies and a vast pool of women talent from the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) under one roof. Participating Companies included, Aditya Birla Group, Publicis Sapient, Broadridge Financial Solutions India Limited, Moody’s, Renault Nisan Tech, IBM India, Google Cloud, HDFC ERGO, ACT, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Gallagher, Happiest Minds Technologies Limited, Stryker, Verisk, AKJ Somaiya Institute Of Management, among many others.

Tailored for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), MACC offered a unique platform to connect, collaborate, and converse with like-minded professionals, industry-leading companies, and renowned experts in the industry. The conclave was an ecosystem designed to foster learning, sharing, and networking for women in the STEM field; an opportunity to explore new horizons in the STEM field, to grow personally and professionally, and to unlock a world of possibilities. The conference witnessed a large gathering of students, educators, professionals, and industry leaders who shared their knowledge, experiences, and insights.

Avtar Group also announced the winners of their inaugural “Women in STEM” Awards. This Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of women who are making significant strides in the STEM fields. In STEM Icons 15 plus years of work experience category, Vaijayanthi Srinivasa Raghavan Senior Director, UPS India Technology Centre, Priya Kanduri, CTO, SVP – Cyber Security Services, HappiestMinds Technologies Limited, Deepti Singh, Deputy General Manager- Head of Department System Installation, Renault Nissan Tech have received top 3 awards. In STEM Divas 8-15 years of work experience category, Subbulakshmi Ramkumar, Deputy Manager, RNTBCI, Yogita Bhanwaria, Senior Manager, Biocon Biologics Limited, MuthuSusithra Devarajan, Team Manager, Broadridge Financial Solutions have received top 3 awards. In STEM Stars 2-8 years of work experience category, Nishtha Mahendru, Consultant, Applied Innovation Exchange, Capgemini, Nidhi Raut, Sr. Engineer, Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre India (RNTBCI), Indujaa Thangavel, Broadridge Financial Solutions have received top 3 awards.

“One of the key sectors that has the potential to boost women’s workforce participation, is the STEM industry. While 43%of STEM graduates are women, they make up only 28% of the STEM workforce. Moreover, women drop out of the workplace due to childbirth, childcare and elder care. Consequently, only 3 percent of women hold CEO posts in the STEM Industry. While research has established that improving women’s workforce participation can boost India’s GDP by 27%, more women in STEM would set the stage for inclusive innovation and solution designs that are equitable for all. Women have historically been underrepresented in STEM, yet they bring invaluable perspectives and ideas to these fields. MACC awards recognizes the exceptional talent, the brilliance, and diverse perspectives of women in STEM,” said Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group announcing the awards at the myAvtar Career Conference today in Bengaluru.

“Through MACC, we are acknowledging the remarkable work being done by women in STEM and also addressing the systemic barriers they face. Our goal is to create an environment where every individual, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and drive progress,” added Dr Saundarya.

At the conference, three organizations with the “Best Programs for enabling women in STEM” – Biocon Biologics Pvt Ltd, Kyndryl and Molecular Connections Pvt Ltd were also recognized.

In addition to the awards, the myAvtar Career Conferences hosted a series of panel discussions, skilling tracks conducted by IBM, Google Cloud, Johnson & Johnson and Publicis Sapient exclusively for women. The event also provided a platform for knowledge exchange, mentorship, collaboration, further strengthening the presence and influence of women in the STEM field.

The conference hosted in the hybrid mode –saw an attendance of over 3000 women at the on-ground event, while there were over 2000 attendees virtually. Companies opened up jobs from entry-level to senior-level positions across India – Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Madurai and Coimbatore.