Most organizations in India are gradually doling out the extension of maternity leaves for its employees. The new one to join the 26-week leave bandwagon for would-be mothers is Vedanta, a diversified natural resources company.

Vedanta on Wednesday has announced a new parental leave policy. The company not just extended the maternity leaves from 13 weeks to 6 months, it has also introduced an adoption leave of 12 weeks for new moms and one week of paternity leave.

This comes after the amendment in Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 aiming to double the maternity leave for women employees which got sanctioned by the cabinet in August. This pro-women proposal raises the maternity leave timeframe from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. 

“Vedanta’s new and enhanced parental leave policy secures an inclusive and productive work environment for our employees, who are our most valuable asset. We take pride in having a diverse workforce and our evolved people practices make us one of the most desired companies to work for,” said Suresh Bose, Head - Group HR, Vedanta

The company which has more than 2300 full-time female workforce, according to the company’s Sustainable Development Report 2014-15, considers gender parity and inclusive opportunities as among its top organizational priorities. The company has several innovative employee programmes designed for skill development, personal development, healthcare and ensuring work-life balance.