The Hindu Business Line : Dr Reddy’s turns ‘women-friendly’

It plans to hire over 350 people in 2008-09 to further strengthen its focus on biologicals research division. Biologicals are new versions of bio-pharmaceuticals whose patents have expired.

The Hyderabad-based company plans to give preference to women, by hiring up to a minimum of 25 per cent depending on the availability. “In tune with our global image, Dr Reddy’s is now turning into a women-friendly organisation. We are re-working our human resource policies around women,” Mr Prabir Kumar Jha, Global Head (HR), Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, told Business Line here.

The company with a global headcount of 9,300 at present will also be extending maternal leave benefits in the case of adoptions too. “Besides, there will be flexible working hours for women for about two years after delivery. They can come late and leave early. Wherever possible, work from home facility will also be extended,” Mr Jha said.

On the availability of women for the various roles, Mr Jha said it was not easy to find qualified and willing to work women yet. “But this is improving,” he observed.

For the year 2008-09, Dr Reddy’s will be hiring over 500 as against 1,500 (including 350 scientists) in the previous year. “Last year’s recruitment also included replacement hiring. But now the focus is on core scientific expertise for discovery research in biologicals,” Mr Jha said.

Dr Reddy’s is in the process of building a manufacturing plant with a bigger reactor at an investment of $35 million to meet the potential outcome of its efforts in biologicals. Plans are to launch at least one product every year in the next five years and emerge among the top three players in the segment.

The rate of attrition in the company is 17 per cent against the industry average of 22 per cent. “I would have been happier if it were less than this. But it is very difficult to control the new generation for whom shifting from one job to another is more a norm than necessity,” he pointed out.