The Road Less Travelled

Paving the Unconventional Path

Women are often discouraged to pursue jobs which are perceived to have complex procedures and intense pressure situations. However, Rubina Kadri, Senior Executive from Taxation was encouraged by her seniors and colleagues at Cadila Pharmaceuticals to pursue her job in the complex field of taxation. Rubina presently manages the taxation related services of more than 6000 Cadilians as well as employees of the Group Companies.

Female ‘Tax Bond’ of Cadila

When Rubina joined Cadila in September 2018, her job profile included handling payroll taxation, which involved – updating of investment declaration of employees, approval of investment proofs of employees, salary TDS payment, salary TDS return, processing of F&F and approval of LTA. Over the years several other aspects have been added to her job profile. Now, along with her existing responsibilities, Rubina is also managing filing of Form 15CA (Foreign Remittance), non-salary TDS payment, non-salary TDS return, income tax return of CPL and group companies as well as response to Basic Notice of income tax.

From senior leaders to factory workers and support staff, Rubina is the single contact person for any tax related query and resultant solution. Apart from juggling numbers, Rubina has to juggle through a range of queries from people who contact her for their tax related issues. She responds to each and every question with consistent composure, expertise and poise. As per Rubina, “People come to me with their doubts, seeking clarification for the same. If I will not explain to them, who will.” Rubina not only has an intelligent mind but has a kind heart as well. There are times when she manually feeds taxation related details of factory workers or support staff, who do not have access to a computer.

Cadila’s Contribution Continues…

Organizations often hesitate to hire women in jobs associated with finance and taxation. However, by hiring Rubina and trusting her with additional responsibilities, Cadila Pharma has set a fitting example for other companies to rise above the gender bias. Rubina believes that there is nothing women cannot do. In her words, “How will you know whether you can do something or not, unless you try it? Women can do everything. It’s just a matter of taking that first step.”

As per a Global Gender Gap Report by World Economic Forum, “Female talent remains one of the most underutilized business resources.” Well, with more business entities like Cadila Pharma and female talent like Rubina, we can hope to see appropriate utilization of women as professional recourses and elimination of the gender gap in the years to come.