I’m optimistic about everything about India because I think we’re really poised for taking off at this point. Arathi Krishna, managing director at Sundram Fasteners, says when she joined the automobile component maker, just 1% of its employees were female, but she has managed to increase the share of women in the workforce to 10% and will soon take it to 20%. Krishna, winner of the ET Businesswoman of the Year Award, 2022, tells Dia Rekhithat women need more support from home in order to be able to thrive at work. Edited excerpts: How have things changed since the time you started at Sundram Fasteners? Do you see more women on the shopfloor now?It was a 99% men’s workplace, but they were very open and allowed me to enter and one of the things which I did was constantly ask questions, and had absolutely no ego at all for anyone and asked anything to learn. I worked in Madurai, I worked in Pondicherry, Iworked in Chennai. I worked in different functions, I learned b...

NEW YORK: New Industries plans to sell a 45% stake in a $100 million shale oil and gas joint venture valued at approximately 45% of its basin value in the Eagle Ford. RIL has acquired a 45% stake in Pioneer Natural Resources’ Eagle Ford shale play in south Texas for $1. According to industry sources, RIL worked with Citigroup and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to find a buyer, valuing the company at $1.3 billion. “Reliance is continually working to find ways to create additional value,” a company spokesperson said when contacted, but declined to comment on specific sales. The spokesperson said, “Reliance Group’s policy is not to comment on market speculation. If we need to disclose, we will do so in due course.” Pioneer holds 46% of the remaining 9% of the Eagle Ford joint venture, with the remaining 9% of Alpha held by Newpeck LLC under SAB Newpeck. Newpek is also considering selling its stake and has been advised by Tudor Pickering Holt Co. RIL is a...