Trans Employment Mela aims to offer mainstream jobs to members of transgender community, ETHRWorld
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New Delhi, The third edition of Trans Employment Mela held at Lalit Hotel here on Wednesday was attended by more than 160 aspirants from transgender community, who sought employment in various fields including HR, hotel management, IT, business analytics, logistics, fashion and craft.An initiative of the Tweet Foundation and InHarmony, held in association with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Trans Employment Mela aimed to secure 100 placements for transgender and non-binary individuals - up from 77 last year and 58 in its first edition in 2023.With participation from 17 companies, the mela featured job interviews, sensitisation workshops, networking sessions, panel discussions and performances by community artistes.Speaking about the employment drive, Abhina Aher, founder of Tweet Foundation, said there are about 15-20 lakh transgenders in India, but they do not find jobs despite being educated."Through this mela, companies will get more sensitised and hire more transgenders. The transgender community will receive more respect due to them. They will be able to earn a living and support their families," Aher said.Anupama Eeshwaran, founder of InHarmony, noted the importance of economic empowerment of the transgender community."If we want to empower them, we must provide them jobs. If they have jobs, they will be economically empowered and can do a lot many things. There are nearly 50 per cent transgenders who are graduates and a lot of them are first-time job seekers. Most companies who came here have never seen such a job mela where more than 160 candidates are transgenders," she said.The mela saw the participation of leading companies like Mahindra Logistics, Karma Care, Publicis Sapient, Hexaware, EY Foundation and The Lalit.Priya of Mahindra Logistics said that the company is "committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, equity and accessibility" to all its employees."We also ensure that we not only support but also value the diversity of our people and that it is irrespective of gender identity, nationality, race and gender orientation. We value the talent, the diverse background, education and different values that people bring with them. We have infrastructure in place, we have gender neutral washrooms. We have new parent policies in place. We have policies that focus on actually empowering people irrespective of their background," she said.While many transgenders at the mela were first-time job seekers, not all were freshers.Nitin, a 23-year-old trans person and graduate from Hindu College, shared the perspective of having worked with an MNC as a business analyst and said that even though corporates have made strides in inclusivity, there is still a long way to go."In the last 10 years, the situation has changed. Companies are becoming more accepting of the LGBTQIA community, but there is still a long way to go. Not all workplaces have gender-neutral washrooms, which creates a lot of problems for transgender and non-binary people. Also, a lot of times they don't get jobs because of their gender identities," Nitin said.Naaz Joshi, India's first international transgender queen, advised the community members to try and adjust to work environments where they are welcomed."It is becoming inclusive. The problem is that while there is inclusivity, there is no sensitisation happening in the corporates. People from the transgender community are very sensitive. They feel bad about small things. But we need to understand that we have to give time to other people to adjust to us. What is happening is people do get jobs, but they leave the jobs before they even get used to it," Joshi said.
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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Trans Employment Mela aims to offer mainstream jobs to members of transgender community, ETHRWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHRWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHRWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. New Delhi, The third edition of Trans Employment Mela held at Lalit Hotel here on Wednesday was attended by more than 160 aspirants from transgender community, who sought employment in various fields including HR, hotel management, IT, business analytics, logistics, fashion and initiative of the Tweet Foundation and InHarmony, held in association with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Trans Employment Mela aimed to secure 100 placements for transgender and non-binary individuals - up from 77 last year and 58 in its first edition in participation from 17 companies, the mela featured job interviews, sensitisation workshops, networking sessions, panel discussions and performances by community about the employment drive, Abhina Aher, founder of Tweet Foundation, said there are about 15-20 lakh transgenders in India, but they do not find jobs despite being educated."Through this mela, companies will get more sensitised and hire more transgenders. The transgender community will receive more respect due to them. They will be able to earn a living and support their families," Aher Eeshwaran, founder of InHarmony, noted the importance of economic empowerment of the transgender community."If we want to empower them, we must provide them jobs. If they have jobs, they will be economically empowered and can do a lot many things. There are nearly 50 per cent transgenders who are graduates and a lot of them are first-time job seekers. Most companies who came here have never seen such a job mela where more than 160 candidates are transgenders," she mela saw the participation of leading companies like Mahindra Logistics, Karma Care, Publicis Sapient, Hexaware, EY Foundation and The of Mahindra Logistics said that the company is "committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, equity and accessibility" to all its employees."We also ensure that we not only support but also value the diversity of our people and that it is irrespective of gender identity, nationality, race and gender orientation. We value the talent, the diverse background, education and different values that people bring with them. We have infrastructure in place, we have gender neutral washrooms. We have new parent policies in place. We have policies that focus on actually empowering people irrespective of their background," she many transgenders at the mela were first-time job seekers, not all were a 23-year-old trans person and graduate from Hindu College, shared the perspective of having worked with an MNC as a business analyst and said that even though corporates have made strides in inclusivity, there is still a long way to go."In the last 10 years, the situation has changed. Companies are becoming more accepting of the LGBTQIA community, but there is still a long way to go. Not all workplaces have gender-neutral washrooms, which creates a lot of problems for transgender and non-binary people. Also, a lot of times they don't get jobs because of their gender identities," Nitin Joshi, India's first international transgender queen, advised the community members to try and adjust to work environments where they are welcomed."It is becoming inclusive. The problem is that while there is inclusivity, there is no sensitisation happening in the corporates. People from the transgender community are very sensitive. They feel bad about small things. But we need to understand that we have to give time to other people to adjust to us. What is happening is people do get jobs, but they leave the jobs before they even get used to it," Joshi said.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Joined as Management Trainee, Natwar Kadel is now Hyundai Motor India's Vertical Head
Hyundai Motor India has appointed Dr Natwar Kadel as Associate Vice President and Vertical Head - Human Resources , HR Strategy and People Strategy. Kadel's journey with Hyundai began in 2007 when he joined the company as a Management Trainee in Chennai. Within a year, he was promoted to Assistant Manager - Human Resources in 2008. Over the past 16 years, Kadel has grown within the organisation, and has now transitioned in his new role of leading the HR division in India. Prior to this role, he was the Head of HR, HRD Strategy, Corporate HR and People Strategy at Hyundai Motor India. In his new role, Kadel will report to Youngmyung Park, Vice President and Function Head - People Strategy, Hyundai Motor India. 'My key roles and responsibilities will be to drive global-standard HR practices, leading talent acquisition, talent experience, talent development, talent management and talent sustainability areas, guiding compensation and benefits strategies, and managing leadership development initiatives. It also includes timely execution of major HR projects while fostering a culture of agility, innovation and inclusivity to support Hyundai Motor India's long-term growth and achievement of business goals,' Kadel told ETHRWorld. The journey Speaking about his journey and the principles, Kadel shared that a deep belief in ownership with accountability has been central to his growth as he never viewed his role as just a job, but as a stewardship of the business and its people. This mindset enabled him to take on bold, enterprise-wide challenges. Kadel further said that building a culture rooted in trust and empathy has always been a priority, especially during critical periods such as labour scenarios or the pandemic. 'I've held firm to build a culture of trust and empathy - fostering collaboration, independent thinking and inclusive leadership, especially during moments of labour scenarios, or the pandemic,' he added. And the third priority for Kadel has been a passion for reinvention. 'I've consistently looked at every challenge as an opportunity to reimagine systems, whether it was revamping talent architecture, decentralizing leadership, or championing workforce innovation,' he said. At Hyundai Motor India, Kadel led certain HR initiatives that aligned talent strategy with business agility. A cornerstone was architecting the Role-Based Organisation (RBO), streamlining roles and simplifying the structure - accelerating decision-making and enhancing workforce flexibility. To build future-ready leadership, LEAD Academy was launched, fostering strategic, inclusive and human-centred leaders. Trailblazer and Young Talent Programme (NEXT) were few other initiatives led by him as a part of Hyundai's talent strategy. With experience in Employee Relations (ER), Kadel's aim was to ensure 100 percent policy compliance and fostering industrial harmony. Having risen from the grassroots level, Kadel's leadership style is shaped by his journey. He said it holds a strong respect for every role within the organisation and that he believes in the power of listening. According to Kadel, understanding the true pulse of the business and the language of its people is key to recognizing challenges early and driving collective focus. His transition from a Management Trainee to a strategic leader across diverse domains has given him both perspective and humility. Top strategic priorities As the new Vertical Head - Human Resources, Kadel said that his key priorities revolve around building a future-ready, people-centric organisation. He explained, 'First, I am focused on strengthening our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) - not just to attract top talent, but to deeply engage and retain them.' 'Today's workforce, especially Gen Z, looks for purpose, growth, authenticity and a culture they can connect with. Our EVP must reflect these evolving aspirations by offering meaningful work, continuous learning, wellbeing support and a strong sense of belonging,' he said. Second, Kadel is committed to fostering a sustainable high-performance culture - one that empowers teams, drives innovation, and ensures every employee understands how their contributions connect to the broader business goals. Creating such a culture is key to long-term success. Third, leadership development and robust succession planning remain critical. As Hyundai prepares for future growth and disruption, having a strong internal leadership pipeline is non-negotiable as per Kadel. 'I believe in identifying high-potential talent early, investing in their development, and equipping them to lead through change with confidence,' he added. Further, Kadel highlighted that as the automotive industry undergoes rapid transformations driven by EVs, AI, and sustainability imperatives, new skills, mindsets and capabilities will define future success. For this, Hyundai is proactively preparing its workforce to lead the transition. The company is investing significantly in building future-ready talent through high-aspiration programmes like TrailblazHer (Women Leadership Development Programme) and ARISE (Core Talent Programme) which focus on nurturing leadership potential and driving innovation. In addition, the company is upskilling its employees in emerging competencies, as a smart mobility solutions provider in the truest sense. Employee strategies Kadel shared that for the shopfloor employees, cascading values like tenacity, agility and resilience from leadership requires deliberate alignment between belief, behaviour and business rhythm. For this, Hyundai started role-modelling these behaviours at the top - through decision-making, communication and accountability structures. Then, the company embedded them into everyday systems: performance reviews, learning journeys, townhalls, and manager capability programmes. At the shopfloor level, it's about simplifying the narrative, celebrating on-ground heroes who live these values, and ensuring supervisors act as cultural conduits. Kadel concludes that in 2025, the ideal Hyundai Motor India employee will be both, a brand ambassador and a values champion - someone who not only represents the company externally, but also lives and breathes the Hyundai Way internally.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Trans-formation: At LGBTQ+ job fair in city, stories of new beginnings and hope
New Delhi: With no family support and no one willing to give him a job, transman Andy Kashyap, was forced to sell momos at a makeshift stall outside his rented room in Mohali to make ends meet three years ago. It was a visit to a job fair in Delhi organised exclusively for LGBTQI+ community in 2023 that changed his life. Today 29-year-old is a busy man, working at a diversity, equity and inclusion advisory firm and happily guiding other job seekers. A native of Ferozepur in Punjab, Andy's story reflects the challenges faced by qualified youth from the LGBTQI+ community when it comes to finding inclusive workspaces. From engineers to aspiring development professionals, one could see many queuing up at the one-of-its-kind job fair in the capital on Wednesday — the National Trans Employment Mela 2025. The fair was its third year, organised by NGO TWEET Foundation and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisory firm InHarmony working to build inclusive workplaces in collaboration with the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment. Social justice minister Virendra Kumar, in his inaugural speech, asserted that the job fair was one platform that not only opened doors to livelihood but also celebrated the immense talent and resilience of the community. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Run Your Business Like a Pro - Top Trending Accounting Software (Check Now) Accounting ERP Click Here Undo The event brought together over 160 transgender and non-binary candidates from across the country. Among the companies that came to the fair to recruit candidates one found prominent names like Publicis Sapient, Hexaware, EY Foundation, Mahindra Logistics, Godrej Capital, Procter & Gamble, The Lemon Tree hotels, HDFC Life and The Lalit hotel. As one walked from stall to stall it turned out that this was no regular job fair. At one end were recruiters doing all to ensure the conversations, questions and responses were sensitive and inclusive and at the other end were job seekers hoping against hope to get that one job where they would feel accepted for who they were without being judged. Andy, for instance, holds a degree from Punjab University in history and psychology and a diploma in hotel management. From earning a mere Rs 150 selling momos and doing other odd jobs, Andy has come a long way, not just earning Rs 17,000 a month but gaining confidence to undergo the required surgeries and hormonal treatment to assert and openly speak about his transman identity. Emerging from the Mahindra Logistics stall, 20-year-old Lalit Yadav from Dhanbad in Jharkhand could not hold back his excitement. The commerce graduate shared that he had landed his first internship based on his interview. Born Lalita, this young boy said he was lucky to have the support of his parents, his milkman father and housewife mother. The young transman aspires to one day prove successful in a govt service exams and serve as an officer in his home state of Bihar. Most others, however, shared stories of facing transphobia at home and outside. Ankita Singh, a 26-year-old automation engineer, is a case in point. A BTech graduate in computer sciences from Visakhapatnam and currently based in Hyderabad, the transwoman is currently jobless and was seen going from stall to stall sharing her CV. She said her first job at a start-up ended soon after her employers got to know about her identity. In her next job, she said she faced humiliation and insensitivity from her employers. "I am looking for a job that can give me respect and value my work based on my qualifications," she asserted. That finding a job is not easy is evident when one meets 24-year-old Prerna, a Delhi University graduate who is pursuing her master's degree in gender studies from IGNOU. Articulate and qualified, she failed to land a job of her liking last year at the fair but it gave her the platform to meet like-minded people. She currently works at an insurance company that provides her an inclusive atmosphere. "But I am back at the job fair to meet more people and employers. I work as an associate and have the confidence of seeking roles that allow me to take on bigger responsibilities going forward," she said with confidence. Amidst the flurry of activity, one saw 36-year-old Mani Mallarapu, a transman, quietly leaning against a stall holding onto his crutches. The Hyderabad native suffered polio when three years old. He barely managed to get past Class XII and could not study any further as travelling to town for higher education from his village was well near impossible. Working as a volunteer for survival with an NGO in Hyderabad, Mani was in Delhi on Wednesday to participate in the job fair at The Lalit hotel. "I know there is even less acceptance for a transman with a disability than for others, but I am here to still try my best," he said with a determination that underlined the essence of the job fair aimed at making inclusive workspaces a reality.
