Avtar
Avtar is a Chennai-headquartered DEI consulting, research, and talent solutions firm founded in 2000, serving large enterprises across India and the GCC with proprietary benchmarking frameworks, certification programs, and women's career advancement services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersChennai, India
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Avtar does
Avtar Career Creators Limited, operating as Avtar, is a Chennai-headquartered for-profit social enterprise founded in December 2000 by Dr. Saundarya Rajesh. The company provides consulting, research, training, certification, and recruitment services focused exclusively on workforce culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with particular emphasis on women's career advancement in India. It serves large enterprises across banking, financial services, technology, consulting, and consumer goods (logos include HSBC, Standard Chartered, ICICI, Deloitte, Accenture, Wells Fargo, PepsiCo, and Vodafone), alongside mid-size companies, SMEs, women professionals across career stages, and educational institutions. The company also operates Avtar Human Capital Trust as a CSR arm delivering Project Puthri and MITR programs.
Avtar's offerings are organized around a proprietary 6E Framework (Enrich, Enable, Embed, Experience, Extend, Endow) that supports three strategic pillars: Talent Solutions, Workforce Strategy, and Career Enablement Services. Core products include DEI consulting, assessment and benchmarking, the BCWI and MICI gender-inclusion studies run jointly with Seramount, the ACDA certification aligned with ISO 30415 delivered through Avtar Academy, culture-first hiring solutions, conference and awards platforms (Best of the Best, The Power of I, Segue Sessions, NHRDN-Avtar Diversity Champion Awards), and digital products such as myAvtar.com (India's first diversity job portal) and Flexurity. BRUHAT Insights Global functions as an AI/HR branch for bias reduction and workforce insights.
Avtar generates revenue primarily through professional services (consulting, training, recruitment, certification), supplemented by event and award fees plus sponsorship income. Go-to-market is enterprise sales-led with direct B2B engagement across India, plus an emerging GCC presence via the BCWG study. The company claims impact metrics including 100,000+ women hired, 500+ organizations impacted, 25,000+ leaders trained, and 3,000+ companies participating annually in BCWI/MICI. No external funding rounds are disclosed; the company is founder-owned and operated, and became the first DEI solutions firm in South India to receive ISO 20700 certification in 2024.
Avtar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Avtar
- Legal name
- Avtar Career Creators Limited
- Website
- https://avtarinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Avtar is a Chennai-headquartered DEI consulting, research, and talent solutions firm founded in 2000, serving large enterprises across India and the GCC with proprietary benchmarking frameworks, certification programs, and women's career advancement services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Avtar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workplace Inclusion and DEI Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)
Keywords
Where Avtar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chennai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Avtar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- DEI Consulting Services: Culture transformation consulting, DEI assessment, and organizational readiness diagnostics for corporate clients across India.
- Training and Certification Programs: DEI certification programs including Avtar Certified Diversity Auditor (ACDA), and courses through Avtar Academy for individuals and teams.
- Specialized Recruitment Solutions: Talent acquisition services including second-career hiring programs, culture-first hiring, and diversity recruitment solutions.
- Research and Benchmarking: BCWI and MICI benchmarking studies, TCWI city rankings, and industry research reports for corporate participation.
- Events and Awards: Conference fees, award registration charges, and sponsorship revenue from events like Best of the Best, The Power of I, and NHRDN-Avtar Diversity Champion Awards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Large Companies (500+ employees) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Mid-Size Companies (100-500 employees) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | MSME Companies (below 100 employees) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
Avtar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Avtar is a for-profit social enterprise providing research-driven DEI consulting, diversity audits, workplace culture transformation, and specialized recruitment services. It delivers end-to-end solutions—advisory, training, certification, benchmarking, and talent acquisition—through a proprietary 6E framework spanning Enrich, Enable, Embed, Experience, Extend, and Endow verticals. Offerings target large corporations, mid-market firms, educational institutions, and women professionals across India and the GCC.
Product overview
Avtar is a for-profit social enterprise focused exclusively on workforce culture, inclusion, and women's career advancement since 2000. Its offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture organized around a Three-Pillar model (Talent Solutions, Workforce Strategy, Career Enablement Services) delivered through the 6E Framework (Enrich, Enable, Embed, Experience, Extend, Endow). The core consulting services (DEI Consulting, DEI Assessment, DEI Benchmarking) are supplemented by training and certification programs (Avtar Academy, DEI Certification Programs, ACDA), talent solutions (Culture-first Hiring, ULCA), and experiential programs (Best of the Best Conference, The Power of I, Segue Sessions, NHRDN-Avtar Diversity Champion Awards). Its research and benchmarking products include BCWI, MICI, BCWG, and TCWI. Social impact initiatives are delivered through Avtar Human Capital Trust (Project Puthri, MITR). Supporting digital platforms include Avtar Academy (online courses), myAvtar.com (diversity job portal), and avtarwomen.com (second-career women portal).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avtar Academy: Educational initiative offering DEI certification courses and workplace culture and inclusion training programs for individuals and organizations.
- MITR (Men Impacting Trust & Respect)
- Project Puthri
- Top Cities for Women in India (TCWI)
- NHRDN-Avtar Diversity Champion Awards
- Power of I
- Segue Sessions
- Best of the Best Conference
- Diversity Mahotsav
Products and services
- DEI Consulting Advisory services helping organizations build and navigate a sustainable DEI journey with research-backed insights, assessments, and benchmarking frameworks. For corporate clients seeking end-to-end diversity strategy.
- DEI Assessment Organizational readiness and commitment assessments to evaluate diversity maturity and identify gaps in gender diversity and inclusion practices. For HR leaders and DEI teams in enterprises.
- DEI Benchmarking Benchmarking services that compare organizations against industry standards and best practices for DEI, including the BCWI and MICI Yearbook. For enterprises participating in workforce inclusion studies.
- Avtar Certified Diversity Auditor (ACDA) Gold-standard DEI practitioner certification program aligned with ISO 30415, covering workshops, best-practice sharing, and assessments. For HR professionals and DEI champions.
- DEI Primer Certification Foundational certification program on workplace inclusion for individuals and teams beginning their DEI journey.
- Women Advancement Courses Structured learning programs covering career coaching, skilling, and advancement for women professionals across early, mid, and mature career stages.
- Building Inclusive Workplaces Training programs building behavioral readiness and team awareness to create workplace habits that support trust, inclusion, and performance. For corporate teams and managers.
- Culture-First Hiring Talent solutions shaping hiring practices and leadership pathways to attract and grow diverse talent aligned with organizational culture. For enterprise HR teams seeking diversity recruitment.
- Upskilling, Leadership and Career Avenues (ULCA) Programs providing upskilling and leadership development to help employees advance their careers within inclusive organizational cultures.
- Best of the Best Conference Flagship annual conference showcasing best DE&I practices of top-ranked companies from the BCWI study; editions held in India and the Gulf. For corporate DEI leaders and HR professionals.
- The Power of I Conference Annual cutting-edge conference on diversity and workplace transformation, with multiple editions across India and the Gulf.
- Segue Sessions Skill-building and career creation conferences for women professionals, held in partnership with corporations to help women re-enter the workforce.
- NHRDN-Avtar Diversity Champion Awards Awards program recognizing individual leaders accelerating DEI in the workplace across Gender, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQ+ categories. Includes registration fees for participation.
- DEI for Suppliers, Vendors, and Partners Foundational DEI solutions for SMEs and MSMEs including hiring, training, and culture programs suited to their scale and growth.
- ESG Services Environmental, Social, and Governance advisory services helping organizations integrate DEI into broader sustainability strategies.
- Top Cities for Women in India (TCWI) Annual research study ranking Indian cities on women's inclusion across participation, safety, and career continuity using a composite City Inclusion Score.
- Career Enablement Services (CES) Structured career coaching, skilling, and development support helping women professionals re-enter work and progress into future-ready roles.
- Avtar Academy Online learning platform offering self-paced DEI courses including Basics of Inclusion, Non-Conscious Bias, LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Inclusive Leadership, and DEI Certification for individuals and teams.
- Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) India's largest gender-analytics exercise, conducted in partnership with Seramount, assessing over 450 metrics across 3,000+ participating companies annually.
- Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI) Framework developed with Seramount for organizations to assess and adopt best practices for comprehensive workplace inclusion.
- Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) Study enabling companies in the GCC to gain recognition for their efforts towards creating equitable and inclusive workplaces for women.
- DigiPivot Digital marketing capability workshop for women professionals, built in partnership with Google India and the Indian School of Business.
- Flexurity Proprietary assessment and algorithmic tools for remote workforce management, helping organizations manage distributed teams.
- myAvtar.com Diversity Job Portal India's first exclusive diversity job portal connecting underrepresented talent pools—including second-career women—with employers.
- avtarwomen.com (formerly Avtar I-WIN) India's first diversity recruitment portal for businesses to engage second-career women professionals seeking part-time/flexi-time assignments.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ women hired through talent solutions
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Avtar
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Avtar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Avtar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)minorCollaboration with CII to launch Diversitea podcast series commemorating Avtar's 25th anniversary.
- NHRDN (National HRD Network)coreAvtar collaborated with NHRDN to institute the Diversity Champions Award, celebrating individual leaders accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion. The awards honor leaders from large and mid-size companies and MSME sector across Gender, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQ+ Community categories.
- AccenturecoreExclusive leadership program for women called 'Vaahini Women' featuring expert-led panels to sharpen and upskill experienced women into leadership roles.
- Google IndiacorePartnership with Google India to build DigiPivot - a digital marketing capability workshop for women in India. The program has run multiple cohorts (4th, 5th editions mentioned) building digital marketing skill sets for women professionals.
- Indian School of Business (ISB)coreCollaborated with Google and ISB to build DigiPivot program for women's digital marketing capability development.
- Working Mother GroupcorePartnership to devise MICI (Most Inclusive Companies Index) and organize Global Advancement for Women Conference in Dubai.
- Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media)coreLong-standing partnership to conduct India's first and largest gender-analytics exercises - Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) and Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI). The partnership has conducted 8+ editions with 3,000+ companies participating annually.
- 40 Corporations (PepsiCo, Unilever, Capgemini, Deutsche Bank, Vodafone, Accenture, Genpact, Deloitte)core14 editions of Segue Sessions (2011-2018) in partnership with 40 corporations, benefitting over 5,000 women. Partner corporations created talent tracks for returning women and now hire over 10,000 second-career women each year.
- The HinduminorPartnered with The Hindu to host India's first career fair for women professionals, with special focus on second-career women. Over 25,000 women professionals attended.
- Madura Micro FinanceminorPlaced 364 first-generation women graduates from small villages as mentors for self-help groups.
- CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)coreKnowledge partner for CII's Managemantra - two-day job creation conference; hosted multiple editions where 2,000+ MBA graduates competed for jobs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Avtar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media): US-based DEI research and benchmarking firm that is Avtar's long-standing partner for BCWI and MICI studies. It is directly comparable as a workforce inclusion benchmarking and content platform serving large enterprises globally, and operates in the same research/awards niche as Avtar.
- Great Place to Work Institute: Global workplace culture certification and benchmarking firm that produces widely used Best Workplaces lists and culture assessments. It is directly comparable to Avtar's Best Companies for Women in India and Most Inclusive Companies Index products, with the same enterprise buyer (CHRO, DEI lead) and same benchmarking-led GTM.
- Catalyst: Global nonprofit focused on workplace inclusion for women, producing research, benchmarks, and advisory services for large enterprises. Directly comparable to Avtar's research and consulting offerings in the DEI category, though Catalyst is global and nonprofit rather than India-focused and for-profit.
- Diversity Best Practices (HCI): Membership and advisory arm of the Human Capital Institute focused on D&I benchmarking, summits, and research for CHROs. Directly comparable to Avtar's benchmarking, conferences (Best of the Best, Power of I), and D&I advisory stack serving enterprise HR leaders.
- EDGE Certified Foundation: Global certification body for gender equality in workplaces and academia, offering assessment and certification across more than 200 organizations in 50+ countries. Directly comparable to Avtar's ACDA certification, ISO 30415 alignment, and benchmarking-led certification GTM in workforce inclusion.
Broad incumbents
- Mercer (DEI and Workforce Strategy practice): Global consulting firm with a substantial DEI, rewards, and workforce strategy practice serving multinational employers. Comparable to Avtar's workforce strategy pillar, but as part of a broader HR consulting portfolio rather than a DEI specialist, with deeper global reach but less India-specific depth.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with talent acquisition and DEI advisory offerings serving large enterprises. Comparable to Avtar's talent solutions and culture strategy practices, but as part of a much broader portfolio (executive search, assessment, RPO) rather than a DEI-only focus.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with DEI-related culture and leadership assessment practices. Comparable to Avtar's Culture-first Hiring, ULCA, and leadership development offerings, though operating at a more senior/executive level and as part of broader leadership advisory.
- Randstad India: India arm of global staffing and HR services giant with established RPO, talent solutions, and inclusion-focused practices. Comparable to Avtar's diversity recruitment, myAvtar.com portal, and talent solutions offerings, with broader staffing breadth but less specialized DEI focus.
Regional players
- TeamLease Services: India-based staffing, HR services, and workforce solutions firm with growing DEI and women-employment programs. Comparable to Avtar's second-career hiring, talent solutions, and women's workforce participation work, but focused on staffing and compliance rather than DEI strategy and research.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Avtar social profiles
Digital presenceAvtar compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Avtar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Avtar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Avtar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Avtar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Avtar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Avtar
What does Avtar do?
Avtar is a for-profit social enterprise providing research-driven DEI consulting, diversity audits, workplace culture transformation, and specialized recruitment services. It delivers end-to-end solutions—advisory, training, certification, benchmarking, and talent acquisition—through a proprietary 6E framework spanning Enrich, Enable, Embed, Experience, Extend, and Endow verticals. Offerings target large corporations, mid-market firms, educational institutions, and women professionals across India and the GCC.
Is Avtar a public or private company?
Avtar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Avtar founded?
Avtar was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Avtar based?
Avtar is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Avtar make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. DEI Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Certification Programs, specialized Recruitment Solutions, research and Benchmarking and events and Awards.
Who are Avtar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media), Great Place to Work Institute, Catalyst, Diversity Best Practices (HCI) and EDGE Certified Foundation. Broad incumbents are Mercer (DEI and Workforce Strategy practice), Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles and Randstad India. TeamLease Services is listed as a regional player.
Does Avtar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Avtar.
What industry is Avtar in?
Avtar's product category is Workplace Inclusion and DEI Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAA, Corporate Strategy Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8742.