On June 13, I attended the HR Conclave and Awards hosted by ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India) in Bengaluru. The theme of the conclave was "Empowering India: HR Vision for Sustainable Innovative People Practices."

I had the opportunity to speak on a panel focused on "Diversity and Inclusion for the Future Workplaces." This panel comprised professionals from a range of backgrounds, including leaders from the armed forces, schools of spiritual practices, startups, and those with extensive experience in diverse cultural settings.

During the panel discussion, I shared insights on the work we do at the Godrej Industries Group (GIG) and the Godrej DEI Lab to build equitable communities, grounded in our intrinsic belief in the value of diversity. I discussed our efforts in publishing the DEI Scorecard – an internal dashboard to track and analyse representation – our progress in increasing women's representation in the workplace and on the board, as well as our initiatives to boost the representation of PwDs (persons with disabilities) and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Our evidence-based work and programmes generated significant interest from the audience, who were eager to learn more about our various initiatives, including awareness programmes, hiring practices, employee resource groups, and internship opportunities throughout the GIG businesses.

As a public affairs professional, I underscored the importance of DEI as a critical topic of conversation between governments and corporates, particularly in the context of designing and implementing inclusive policies and programmes for the workplace. I highlighted our partnership with the state of Tamil Nadu, where we have committed to hiring 50% women and 5% PwDs and LGBTQIA+ individuals in our upcoming manufacturing unit, in alignment with the state's progressive policies.

The Karnataka government, which is also invested in inclusion as a value and as a practice, expressed keen interest in our initiatives. We have been invited by the offices of the honourable Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Senior IAS Officer and Chairman of the Karnataka Skill Development Authority, to share more about our DEI work at the Godrej Industries Group.

We are excited that our work is garnering such widespread attention and look forward to continuing to build inclusive, equitable workplaces across India.

Text and image provided by Mallika Sridhar. Mallika is an experienced public policy professional, who is currently leading corporate affairs for the Godrej Industries Group in the south region.