Benchmarking best practices for enhancing gender diversity: insights from the Indian liquor manufacturing industry

Purpose Contributing toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, our study examines gender diversity in the Indian liquor manufacturing sector, specifically emphasizing organizational interventions that augment female participation and evaluating their operational impact. Design/methodology/approach Using the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) framework and integrating resource-based view (RBV), social capital and Institutional theory, this study analyses interventions, including decision-making practices, to improve female participation. The study gathers primary data through semi-structured interviews and triangulates it with five years of firm-level KPI, benchmarked against industry, to assess the influence of gender diversity on firm performance. Findings The research reveals that specific interventions positively impact gender inclusivity, improving operational efficiency, innovation and workforce morale. The study further highlights the challenges of industry-specific cultural and regulatory barriers and presents a structured Gender Diversity Best Practices framework (GDPF) to guide industry-wide adoption. Research limitations/implications Our study employs a single-case analysis within the Indian liquor manufacturing sector, which may constrain direct generalizability to other industries or cultural settings. However, by benchmarking firm-level key performance indicators (KPIs) against industry standards, the research enhances the potential for broader applicability. This approach enables the translation of firm-specific findings into industry-relevant insights, supporting the development of transferable best practices. Future research should employ multi-firm or longitudinal designs to validate and refine these benchmarks across sectors. Originality/value This research is among the first to apply empirical benchmarking to gender diversity practices in a culturally sensitive, male-dominated industry. We propose a generalizable framework linking gender diversity to measurable performance outcomes in manufacturing operations.