About:

The reading down of Section 377 by the Supreme Court in 2018 has led to a fundamental shift in the rights of India's LGBTQ citizens and necessitated policy changes across the board-not least in the conservative world of Indian business. In this book, which won the CK Prahalad Best Business Book of the Year award for 2021, I draw from my decade-long journey in the corporate world as an out and proud gay man, to make a cogent case for LGBTQ inclusion and lay down a step-by-step guide to reshaping office culture in India. I talk to inclusion champions and business leaders about how they worked towards change; trace the benefits reaped by industry giants like Godrej, Tata Steel, IBM, Wipro, the Lalit group of hotels and many others who have tapped into the power of diversity; and share the stories of employees whose lives were revolutionised by LGBTQ-friendly workspaces.

Queeristan is both a memoir and a manifesto and I animate the data and strategy in the book with intimate stories of love and family. Even as it becomes a sprawling reference book of history, literature, cinema, movements, institutions and icons of the LGBTQ community, Queeristan drives home a singular point-in diversity and inclusion lies the promise of an equitable and profitable future, for companies, their employees and the society at large.