1. The Spark Behind the Investigation

In March 2025, a confidential report landed on the desk of Meera Sanyal, an independent organizational consultant and workplace culture investigator. The report, commissioned by the HR Director of BrightWave Advertising Pvt. Ltd., outlined a troubling trend: in the last 14 months, eight mid-level female employees had resigned, citing “personal reasons” in their exit interviews. However, in informal HR debriefs, phrases like “toxic culture,” “male bias,” and “inappropriate behavior” kept surfacing. BrightWave, a Mumbai-based creative agency with 220 employees, had built its reputation over a decade as one of India’s most daring boutique advertising firms. It won national awards for campaigns that celebrated female empowerment and diversity — ironic, given what was unfolding inside its own walls.