India Inc becomes fertile ground for family-planning perks
infertility rates, fertility benefits in Indian companies have gone from a novelty to a much-sought-after workplace perk. Companies including Bizongo, HSBC India, Titan Company, Navi, Meesho, and Simpl are among those that have rolled out or enhanced fertility benefits as part of their corporate insurance and benefits programmes as they focus on creating more inclusive and supportive workplaces.
Experts say such measures not only help companies attract and retain talent, but also boost their diversity credentials. For women employees in particular, such benefits matter a lot — a recent survey by employee insurance platform Plum showed one in 3 women are open to egg freezing; 88% of them want it to be included in their workplace benefits package.
Fertility benefits covered include associated in-vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), genetic testing, associated surgeries, associated cryopreservation (egg/sperm/embryo freezing), fertility consultation, fertility medication, hormonal treatment, among others.
“India has experienced a decline in fertility ratios owing to the shift in marriage age to mid-30s when fertility is on the decline and the shift in family planning age, clubbed with various lifestyle issues,” said Prawal Kalita, Employee Benefits Leader at insurance broking and risk management company Marsh India. “Organisations are offering these benefits to support their workforce in managing one of their most important life
