These are the companies that offer extended maternity leave in India

In a welcome move, Airtel has decided to grant women employees 22 weeks of maternity leave. Here are some other companies that have also recently offered extended maternity leave in India. 

While Indian women continue to shrink the employment gender gap in the country, employers cannot ignore the fact that women are differently wired biologically than men. While paternity leave is a whole other debate, maternity leave in the country has been a topic of discussion for a while now. It garnered more interest when reports about the Centre agreeing to increasing maternity leave for women in the private sector--from the present 12 weeks to 26 weeks--started coming in.

A recent survey by Assocham found that a quarter of Indian women give up their careers after having a baby. In fact, maternity leave has been such an issue with employers that many women candidates have experienced interviews where employers have asked veiled questions about when they plan to have a baby, though that amounts to an invasion of privacy, among other things.

It clearly comes as a welcome surprise then, when a private company as big as Airtel takes steps to promote gender equality. This company, however, is not the only one.

AIRTEL 
On Wednesday, telecom operator Bharti Airtel increased maternity leave for women employees to 22 weeks, from 12 weeks.

The company's office in Gurgaon also has modern-day care facilities for children.

Airtel said the objective of the policy was to provide adequate support to employees to balance their role as parents with professional commitments at work.

In case of adoption, if the child's age is less than 2 years, women employees can avail 12 weeks of leave, and if the age is above 2 years, a leave of 6 weeks can be availed. Male employees can take one week off in both cases.

FLIPKART
Probably the only online retail company that's offering an extended maternity leave of 24 weeks, Flipkart also encourages women employees to avail benefits of their flexible working hours (with full pay) for as long as four months after their maternity leave.

If needed, women can also take a 1-year career break without pay at Flipkart.

MICROSOFT INDIA
As of February 1, 2016, Microsoft India is offering 6 months maternity leave--extended from 3 months' leave--to its women employees. The company is also offering 2 weeks paternity leave to new fathers. This is in addition to Microsoft India offering women employees the option of availing unpaid leave for up to three months and flexible work arrangements for up to two years. 

Additionally, to care for adopted children, mothers will be eligible for eight calendar weeks of paid leave, while fathers are eligible for two weeks of paid leave.

NESTLE INDIA
Nestle India has extended its maternity leave policy to 6 months, effective February 1, 2016, from the previous leave of 18 weeks, while granting adoption leave for six weeks with full pay and benefits for all permanent women employees.

Besides, a paternity policy has been introduced with a leave of five working days with full pay and benefits for all permanent male employees, reports DNA.  

OTHERS
HCL Technologies, Godrej and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) offer over 24 weeks (180 days) of maternity leave to all women employees.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment is considering a proposal to make it compulsory for any company that employs more than 30 women to have childcare facilities, either on campus or at a short distance from the workplace.

Maternity leave around the world:
India: 12 weeks at full pay (currently)
UK: 39 weeks of paid leave
China: 14 weeks, paid the average wage at the company
US: 12 weeks, employers not obliged to pay anything
Canada: 15 weeks paid leave; can take up to 52 weeks of leave