Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry has set the ball rolling for a debate on gender diversity in the corporate world, cautioning that India still has a long way to go, Hindustan Times reported.

“When women are insufficiently represented in the workplace, we lose out on 50% of the talent pool. In an environment where human capital makes all the difference between success and failure, this is a massive loss which countries and corporate can ill afford,” Mistry, 44, wrote in his chairman's message in the annual report of the Tata Global Beverages Ltd.

Mistry’s observations, which form the opening remarks of the annual report themed Celebrating Women, seeks to contextualise the issue of gender diversity in corporate India.

Read the full report here