Providing equal opportunity to women by improving gender ratio and propelling their growth in managerial roles as well.
While gender inclusivity in an organization is the first step towards a diverse and inclusive workspace, Blue Dart perceives diversity as something that goes beyond gender and includes race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other characteristic protected under law. The Express Logistics Provider promotes a culture that propels growth through thought diversity and a foundational value encouraging colleagues to work together, ‘As One’. Blue Dart, as part of the DPDHL Group, and as South Asia’s Trade Facilitator, has always believed in the concept of ‘Strength through Diversity.
Traditionally, the logistics industry has always been considered to be ‘male-dominated’. This stigma associated with the industry is only challenged by players like Blue Dart who have been trying to increase the gender ratio, by bringing onboard more women and propelling their growth in managerial roles as well.
Sonia Nair, National Head – Customer Service, Blue Dart, speaks as a strong advocate for the issue, “Logistics is viewed as a labor-intensive field and therefore associated with being a boys club. The pride I feel for working with Blue Dart is only further propelled by the initiatives our teams take forward to ensure that women know they are always welcome in the Blue Dart family; in fact, growth is guaranteed for individuals who have determination and drive – I say this from experience. When I first joined Blue Dart in 1999, I clearly remember stating at my interview that I would want to take on the role of my mentor, National Head – Customer Service. An action-packed few years later, I can surely say that the effort I put in was recognized and my growth within the organization was a by-product of that.”
Sonia is one of the many leaders of Blue Dart, promoting gender diversity by participating in various internal initiatives the company has launched. Recently, the express logistics provider launched the ‘Why do we love to work for Blue Dart?’ section on their website career page. The goal behind this launch was to provide prospective female colleagues with an understanding of what working at Blue Dart and being a part of the logistics industry is all about. Sonia has provided an in-depth testimony of her journey to encourage many more women to be a part of the industry.
She adds, “Women balance two careers at all times – the one at home and the one at the office. The importance of a supportive work environment and a supportive family are crucial to her success. Blue Dart has a number of policies in place to ensure that women receive the support they require and even provides mentorship to the children of team members, scholarships, and parental leave prior to the child’s major examinations.”
Blue Dart has always believed in providing equal opportunity and continues to induct more women into its family every day. Today, women play a significant role in the Blue Dart family, from frontline couriers to pilots. A veteran in the aviation industry and a ‘Blue Darter’ at heart, Tulsi Mirchandaney, Managing Director, Blue Dart Aviation says, “It has been refreshing to see an increasing number of women in our industry delivering with equal zest and pride. Some of the most efficient frontliners in Blue Dart, battling the not so ideal streets, are the women couriers who match and even outdo, package to package, deliveries of their male counterparts. We have five lady pilots in Blue Dart Aviation when a decade ago there were none, and we have ladies in almost every department who stand tall – engineering, flight operations, flight dispatch, technical services, quality, materials & stores. I’m very proud of what they do each day, and especially their commitment during the height of the pandemic last year. When the world stopped, we moved, and the ladies were there to prove their mettle.”
She adds, “Blue Dart provided me with the opportunity to be a catalyst in its success. Being a part of the project team that set up India’s first scheduled express cargo airline and currently the oldest private carrier was a historic privilege for me. Back in the days when air cargo was not seen as a woman’s job, from issuing airway bills to loading flights, I’ve done it all, and it only propelled my love for the industry. While I have not faced any direct discrimination, I do take pride in having broken a stereotype suggesting that a man has to be in charge. At Blue Dart, we try to relay this positive prospect forward through a number of our initiatives.”
She further adds, “As part of the ‘Women in Aviation’ effort, we work closely with the Airports Authority of India each year, to familiarize young schoolgirls with various aspects of the aviation industry. We try to attract more women to our industry by encouraging them to visit our facilities and witness our operations. The choice rests finally with the individual to take the first step towards the realization of her potential and dream.”
Blue Dart’s focus on being an equal opportunity employer goes above and beyond organization success. While the organization recognizes the effect of its diverse team on the service quality it provides and the consequent customer satisfaction, it also understands the effect D&I initiatives have on its teams. Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart notes, “It is incredible to see what a diverse and inclusive team does for the company’s success but most notably, we see such a difference in our teams. ‘Strength in Diversity’ challenges world views and offers a different perspective to look at situations. It is an automatic growth booster for all individuals who are open to it. Inclusion is a game-changer and while it cannot be quantifiable, the results will be visible across parameters.”
Apart from the initiatives listed above, Blue Dart has pioneered several gender diversity initiatives to encourage women’s empowerment. The organization encourages team members to help bring more women onboard with the ‘Each One Bring One Female Employee Referral Program’. Women’s safety is an equally important component at Blue Dart. POSH training is conducted to provide an insight into professional workplace behaviour and how to respectably treat female colleagues. Blue Dart also launched its first-ever ‘All Women’s Service Centre’ in Navi Mumbai, the first of many to come.
