Statutory Section
Our organization has the people, capability and agility for the future.
With a strong focus on the future, we take an intentional approach to building capabilities that empower our people to thrive - driving personal growth and organizational success. Our talent philosophy is rooted in attracting top-tier talent, aligning individuals with roles that maximize their strengths, investing in continuous development, nurturing a robust succession pipeline, and retaining key talent to ensure long-term progress.
We attract high-potential talent from campuses through structured programs such as LEAP (Leadership Experiences and Acceleration Program), ECL (Early in Career Leadership Program), and the CD Internship Program, targeting entrylevel roles in sales, manufacturing, and management. To further strengthen our talent base, we actively pursue lateral hiring from diverse talent pools. Our strong assessment processes ensure we continue to inject the organization with fresh, external perspectives that drive innovation and challenge the status quo.
The following are some of our key ongoing interventions focused on developing potential across the organization:
Gurukul Rise
A self-paced learning
and assessment platform
that blends capability-building modules with
real-time action learning
projects. It is designed to
help employees upskill
and prepare them to
grow into future roles.
Potential Development Centre (PDC)
Once Customer Development Officers (CDOs) are ready for the next level, a two-day Potential Development Centre is conducted to assess and identify talent for Area Manager roles through a structured evaluation process.
Udaan
Udaan is a comprehensive capability development program
designed for emerging frontline leaders in manufacturing to
develop this critical link role in areas like data analysis &
storytelling, leadership, and stakeholder management
capabilities.
Better-Up
In partnership with
BetterUp, our global
parent company provides
personalized leadership
coaching to help Colgate
leaders enhance their
effectiveness and
accelerate their
professional growth
Colgate flagship trainings
on people management
We conduct several flagship
training programs across all levels
to build a consistent approach to
people management. These
include 'Valuing Colgate People',
'Fundamentals of Colgate
Leadership' and 'Coaching
Developing Essentials'.
To equip high-potential talent for future leadership roles, we partner with prestigious institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, Stanford University, and INSEAD. These immersive, classroom programs focus on strategic thinking, people leadership, strategic influence, and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset.
At CPIL, building careers begins with helping our people understand where they currently stand in terms of their skills and capabilities, identifying where they want to go, and mapping out the path to get there.
We facilitate this journey through regular career development conversations between employees and their managers. These discussions help individuals explore their strengths, identify areas for growth, and share their career aspirations. The insights from these dialogues feed into broader talent planning to shape personalized development opportunities and career pathways. To reinforce these conversations, we conduct half-yearly performance check-ins that not only assess progress against set goals but also look ahead to identify ways to drive further impact and growth.
Adding more structure and transparency to this process, our new Colgate Career Framework offers a clear organizational map of roles. It enables employees to visualize potential career paths, understand the experiences and capabilities required for aspirational roles, and make confident, informed choices regarding their professional growth.
We believe continuous learning is key to individual and organizational growth. That is why we ensure our teams have ongoing opportunities to learn, evolve, and thrive. People are at the heart of our success. Our commitment is to attract, develop, and retain strong, diverse talent to drive CPIL's continued growth and innovation.
We continue focusing on the development of individuals beyond their day-to-day performance. We have ensured that every employee engages in meaningful career conversations with their managers. The outcomes of these discussions are then woven into development plans — shaping additional projects, formal learning opportunities, and shortterm assignments. This integrated approach supports individuals in preparing for their next aspirational role and advancing with purpose.
To support high-performing early-career professionals facing communication challenges, we partnered with an external organization to deliver a personalized, AI-enabled English communication program. The initiative helped 92% of participants successfully clear the final verbal assessment and earn certification.
To build excellent sales fundamentals across the organization, we aim to equip 100% of our field workforce with essential training in Core Selling Fundamentals, Distributor Engagement, and Customer Management by 2025.
With a shared goal of operational excellence, the Supply Chain team invested around 10,000 collective training hours in critical areas like quality, safety, and production to elevate standards across our plants.
We launched a mentorship program pairing young managers with senior leaders to support personal branding, networking, emotional intelligence, and work-life balance. The program's clear focus has earned strong praise from both mentors and mentees.
We held training programs for mid to senior managers in self-management, team development, goal setting, and interpersonal dynamics with stakeholders. Refresher sessions reinforced hiring principles and enhanced skills in conducting competency-based interviews.
Based on the career development goals of their teams, all function leaders curated quarterly learning sessions by bringing in subject matter experts, either from within the function or outside the organization.
Digital tools have been key to our talent development efforts. Our AI-powered platform, MindSpark, offers tailored e-learning with multidisciplinary modules, while our Self Development Policy supports employees financially in pursuing external courses.
At Colgate-Palmolive (India), we believe that engaged, inspired, and purpose-driven employees are the cornerstone of accelerating progress toward our goals. By recognizing excellence, fostering continuous dialogue, and creating platforms for inspiration, we foster a culture where every team member feels empowered to contribute meaningfully, ultimately amplifying both individual growth and collective success.
Our focus on authentic communication and inclusive engagement continues to energize our people, enabling innovation, resilience, and a shared journey toward sustainable impact.
Established in 1986, the You Can Make A Difference (YCMAD) Awards are Colgate-Palmolive's Company’s highest global recognition for individual and team excellence. The program has celebrated thousands of employees across functions and geographies whose outstanding contributions have advanced our business, enhanced internal processes and the work environment, and positively impacted the communities we serve.
From pioneering product innovations to breakthrough operational solutions, many YCMAD-recognized initiatives have evolved into global best practices that continue to drive excellence across the organization. Each subsidiary selects its top project(s) annually, which are then considered for global recognition. On average, approximately 1,500 nominations are received each year, with nearly 400 projects earning period awards, demonstrating the vibrant culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence that defines our organization.
Initiated at the India level, the MD's Above & Beyond Awards celebrate team members who consistently exceed expectations, setting new benchmarks for excellence in their everyday contributions. While the YCMAD Awards focus on measurable impact, the MD's Awards celebrate behaviors that exemplify CP Values (Who We Are) and Leadership Principles (How We Lead).
Award categories based on CP Values
Award categories based on Leadership Principles
A signature leadership engagement platform, Red Talks is designed to fuel inspiration, spark innovation, and nurture a growth-oriented culture. Curated exclusively for CPILemployees, this talk series features thought leaders, industry experts, and changemakers from diverse walks of life who share powerful stories, strategic insights, and life lessons.
It offers our people a dynamic platform where bold ideas thrive, inspiration takes center stage, and our shared commitment to excellence is advanced.
The series featured prominent speakers including
Mr. Harsh Mariwala,
Founder & Chairman, Marico Ltd.,
Mr. Sanjiv Mehta,
Executive Chairman, L Catterton India, Former Chair/ CEO, Hindustan Unilever & Member of Unilever Executive Board,
Mr. Damodar Mall,
CEO, Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail,
Ms. Meena Kaushik,
Chairperson, Quantum Consumer Solutions, and
Ms. Romita Mazumdar,
Founder & CEO, Foxtale Skincare, bringing fresh perspectives and transformative thinking to our teams. Each session offers a space for learning and reflection, helping employees connect with purpose and envision what is possible.
The belief that field sales roles are predominantly suited for men presents a significant barrier, contributing to a wider gender gap in this field. As a result, fewer women are represented in sales, further deepening this divide. For us, diversifying our workforce has become a key focus to foster greater inclusivity and innovation at CPIL.
To address this challenge, introduced forward-thinking policies such as hygiene kits and travel assistance, which play a crucial role in supporting the retention and success of women in field roles. Thanks to these initiatives, the diversity within our Field Sales team saw a notable increase, from 10% to 17% by the end of 2024. This milestone marks an important step toward our goal of creating a more equitable workplace.
Moving forward, our ongoing efforts aim to further level the playing field, ensuring equal opportunities for all, regardless of background or identity.
