With more than 1,200 women employees, Persistent Systems Ltd recently introduced a platform called Prerana for professional growth of female employees. "Prerana will initially focus on extending work-life balance to female employees with flexible work hours, innovative measures for time management and so on," said Manjiri Ranade, head of Prerana and associate vice president of Persistent Systems, which has offices at Senapati Bapat Road and Erandwane.

One of Prerana's objectives is to ensure a safe work environment. "We already have a committee headed by the HR chief to prevent harassment at the workplace. We will enhance its profile through Prerana," Ranade said. The committee meets once a quarter to discuss and resolve such cases.

Through Prerana, Persistent Systems has promised to encourage the development of women employees as professionals by providing a platform to cultivate professional and leadership skills through lectures, workshops and open discussions. "Prerana will also provide an online platform to its female employees for discussion, posting inspirational stories and so on," Ranade said.

Other than Prerana, Persistent Systems also formed Persistent Foundation for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. "The company will institutionalise its CSR activities through this foundation. Since its inception in 1995, the company has a policy of contributing one per cent of its net profit to health and education," said Pinal Patil, senior strategist, corporate communications, Persistent.