When opportunity is equal, potential is limitless

Typical measures include:

1. Reserved seats in higher education for SC, ST, and OBC students.

2. Reserved positions in public employment to ensure adequate representation of backward classes.

3. 4% horizontal reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities across categories.

4. 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in education and public employment, separate from SC, ST, and OBC quotas.

Nationally recognised Affirmative Action communities chiefly means Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which are formally notified by the President under Articles 341 and 342. Alongside these, reservations also cover groups in the Central List of Other Backward Classes, and a separate EWS quota was created by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment.

Within the law, companies can back scholarships, hostels, girl child education, skill training, livelihood and entrepreneurship, and supplier inclusion for disadvantaged groups. CSR spending must align with Schedule VII and can be interpreted broadly to meet local needs, enabling credible Affirmative Action initiatives that are community relevant. Many of these initiatives fall under skill development CSR.

Aligned with Tata Power’s five CSR pillars, our efforts focus on integrating Affirmative Action groups into value chains while enhancing employability and entrepreneurship. Through targeted programs and scholarships across multiple states, we empower vulnerable communities, with a special emphasis on SC and ST groups, by combining skilling opportunities with strong market linkages.

Inclusive hiring at Tata Power is central to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, supported by mentoring, equal opportunity commitments, and women-led operations. Examples include the women-led Tejaswini Group in Mumbai distribution operations and an 80% women operator workforce at the Tirunelveli solar cell and module plant. Tata Power also applies positive discrimination in recruitment, offering a 5% marks relaxation for Affirmative Action candidates during campus interviews, and incentivizes contractors to hire a higher share of SC/ST workers, further advancing affirmative action. These initiatives together demonstrate inclusive hiring across the company.