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On the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, Amazon India celebrated ‘Amazon ElevateHER 2025’ - an initiative designed to empower women through mentorship and career development opportunities. Aligned with this year’s global IWD theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, the event, held in Bangalore, brought together Amazon leaders and aspiring professionals for insightful discussions on mentorship, allyship and sponsorship for career growth. ElevateHER 2025 reflects Amazon’s commitment to gender equality and providing women with the tools and resources needed to reach their full potential.

A key highlight of the event was the speed mentoring session, where over 100 women from diverse backgrounds engaged in focused conversations with Amazon leaders on career growth, leadership development and building confidence to advance professionally. Further enriching the event was a fireside chat on ‘’Guiding Light: Sponsorship, Resilience, and Empowering Women to Rise’’ featuring actor and author Sonali Bendre and Deepti Varma, VP - HR/ People eXperience and Technology, Amazon India, Japan and Emerging Markets.

‘’At Amazon, we're building a culture where everyone can thrive. Our approach has evolved from mentorship to allyship and sponsorship, creating a support system for career advancement. Our leaders champion initiatives for employees, associates, and partners that foster growth within Amazon. ElevateHER 2025 aims to equip women from diverse backgrounds with skills and the network they need to achieve their career goals and we are excited with the opportunity the speed mentoring sessions offered to these aspiring professionals,’’ said Deepti Varma, VP of HR/ People eXperience and Technology, Amazon India, Japan and Emerging Markets.

"Empowering women in the workplace isn’t just about opportunity - it’s about creating an environment where confidence, leadership, and growth thrive. Being part of Amazon ElevateHER has been truly inspiring, seeing so many talented women take charge of their careers and break barriers," said Sonali Bendre, Actor and Author.

ElevateHER 2025 featured an engaging lineup of sessions designed to inspire and empower. A thought-provoking panel discussion - "Accelerating Action: Building Resilient Careers" brought together Amazon leaders Gitanjali Bhutani, Director - Software Development, Amazon India; Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India; Rajeev Sharma, Director-Talent Acquisition, Amazon, and moderated by Neha Gupta Mahatme, Director - Amazon Pay. The panel delved into actionable strategies to accelerate women’s professional growth and strengthen inclusive workplace practices.

Sharing her experience as a participant at the event, Astha Pant said, “Participating in Amazon’s ElevateHER 2025 was a valuable experience. The insights I gained from senior leaders will help me navigate workplace challenges and provided practical strategies for career growth. The mentoring session was more than just advice—it encouraged me to reassess my professional goals, set clearer objectives, and approach my career with greater confidence. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of this initiative.’’       

ElevateHER 2025 is just one facet of Amazon India’s ongoing commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace and empowering women at all levels. The company has implemented a range of comprehensive mentorship and development programs designed to support women's growth, leadership capabilities, and career advancement, both within Amazon and in the broader community. These initiatives are designed to create a strong pipeline of future women leaders:

Amazon Programs for women employees:

* Catapult: In partnership with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, this program focuses on developing mid-level women managers, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to excel in leadership roles.

* Women in Leadership program (WLP): Tailored support for women in mid-management roles, helping them sharpen their leadership voice, strengthen their professional networks, and develop a broader enterprise mindset.

* Ask Me Anything: Provides fresh women leaders an opportunity to seek guidance from senior women leaders through one-on-one sessions, fostering mentorship and knowledge sharing.

* Listening Circles: Creates a safe space for women employees to engage in open conversations with leaders, fostering a sense of community and providing valuable feedback.

* Amazon Catalyst Program: A developmental initiative that enables Amazon women leaders to leverage the knowledge, experience, learnings and guidance of senior Amazon leaders via 1:1 mentoring to accelerate their growth and professional development.

* Women in Leadership (WIL): WIL is an immersive development program for women enabling them to understand career anchors, identify self-limiting biases and leverage mechanisms across networking, branding and sponsorship.

* ‘Sponsor for Success’ - A recently piloted program, it matches high-performing, underrepresented talent with skip-level leaders as sponsors. Sponsors act as advocates across the leadership chain and connectors to wider networks. They provide tangible feedback for navigating promotions, strengthening skills, and enable crucible experiences for the talent.

Amazon Programs for female students, professionals and the community:

* Amazon WoW: A program designed to support career readiness for women in tech and other careers. WoW will help women expand their network, learn about different career paths, and build their leadership skills. 

* AmazeWIT (Women In Technology): A unique networking and learning event for women in the technology space to connect, engage, educate, and prepare them for successful careers in technology.

* Amazon Saheli: Empowers women entrepreneurs across the country by providing them with a platform to sell their products on Amazon.in, fostering economic independence and growth.

* Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships (AFE): A childhood-to-career program focused on providing equitable opportunities in Computer Science education for underprivileged students, with a focus on enabling women's access to technology careers through scholarships and internships.

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