People, Policies and Practices: India Diversity Conclave nudges companies to analyze their DE&I Journey

Building a strong DE&I foundation requires leaders to focus on building trust and creating a culture where everyone feels free to express themselves.

India Diversity Forum, the independent industry body, advocates such awareness, and brought industry leaders and D&I experts together under one platform to organize its second annual conclave - The 2nd Edition of India Diversity Conclave 2022.

Conceptualised by India Diversity Forum, managed and executed by Sapphire Connect this conclave focused on Building an Inclusive India while influencing the subtle nuances of diversity and inclusion in the Indian context. Hosted at The Lalit Mumbai, this conclave witnessed 35+ speakers, 250+ member companies, 200+ Attendees and 1000+ virtual delegates which included leading D&I experts and CHROs pan India along with 16 partners and 12 Diversity Champions.

Participating in the inaugural panel discussion, Sanjeev Rao, CEO, Being Human highlighted, "Increasing diversity increases the productivity & efficiency of the organization. As a company, Being Human compasses diversity, and it is the most important aspect of the organization and we live it. When it comes to meritocracy everybody is judged equal." While concluding his conversation for the panel discussion, Making Differences Matter: Going beyond Numbers and Making Diversity Count, Rao mentioned that we have people from various backgrounds and are making a diverse culture.

India Diversity Forum aims to accelerate diversity and inclusion in India. The annual conclave strengthened India Inc's commitment towards D&I. From top leaders to sponsorship to sharing to proven best practices, this conclave was the one-stop destination for all D&I practitioners. The discussions emphasise the importance of companies taking up the responsibility to create and sustain an inclusive environment for all. Diversity & Inclusion should be every company's fundamental values.

Ankit Bansal, Founder & CEO, Sapphire Human Solutions & Advisory Board Member, IDF mentions that "D&I needs to move from talks to action. The business case for D&I is well established now. What we need is leaders who champion the cause and drive change at a ground level in their organizations. IDF is committed to making India a shining example for the world in the D&I space."

Organizations are always looking out for comprehensive ways to further their D&I journey and to create true belonging for their employees. Thus, IDF curated a unique knowledge-sharing opportunity allowing member organizations to share their leading D&I practices with all at large.

IDF launched IDF Best Sharing Handbook - D&I Best Practices 2021-22 at the conclave making these D&I initiatives available to all and providing a ready reckoner for other organizations wanting to adopt or imbibe them. The book launch was followed by a facilitation ceremony for the organizations who had contributed their valuable insights to the book

Voted as the top 3 Organizations with leading D&I Practices by IDF members, The Boston Consulting Group, Sodexo and Tata Consultancy Services got a privileged opportunity to showcase their D&I thought leadership at this conclave. As an organization, Sodexo leads by example and focuses on its people, their welfare and growth by hiring, retaining and of course developing them. They have published an equal opportunity policy covering all the diverse groups within the organization. This policy allows them to cater for its employees better and make sure they are protected when required.

Dr Ritu Anand, Chief Leadership & Diversity Officer, Tata Consultancy Services and Advisor of India Diversity Forum applauded the Best D&I Practice Sharing Initivative. She mentioned, "After a long time I have attended a program which focused on India's growth in diversity and inclusion. India Diversity Conclave 2022 was unique in its award process too. Voting and election by peer companies is great way to move ahead."

Chandra Balani, Head - Global Enterprise, India, AWS (Amazon Internet Services) is a prominent advocate for D&I in India. Sharing his thoughts on the panel discussion - Racism and Discrimination at the Indian Workplace - A look at Future Trends, he mentioned, "Amazon believes in having a diverse team as it helps to think bigger, think differently and create better products & services for customers. This is reinforced in our leadership principles". Dhananjay Naithani, Associate Partner, Sapphire Human Solutions also added that "People are still hesitating to talk about racism at the workplace in India. Leaders of firms should take initiatives in having these sensitive conversations to address racism and build equality at the workplace in India."

This conclave also hosted other leading speakers like Satish Rao, Chairman and Managing Director, Firmenich India; Krishna Raghavan, Chief People Officer, Flipkart; Maninder Kapoor Puri, Global Chief Human Resource Officer and Diversity Officer, Mastek Group; Ekta Singh, Global CHRO, AGS Health; Seema Trikannad, EVP & Chief of Human Resource & Management Services, SBI Life Insurance; Mamata Banerjee, Strategic Initiatives Lead - NTO and D&I Chair, Novartis Healthcare; Anjali Chatterjee, Chief Human Resource Officer, AirAsia India; Sandeep Das, Senior Director, Head Learning & Development/Diversity & Inclusion, JLL India and many more.

Introducing a unique concept, IDF hosted a Spotlight Session with Anubhuti Banerjee, Manager - IT Coordination and Improvement, Tata Steel. The Spotlight Session celebrated the journeys of diverse and successful professionals/entrepreneurs with inspiring stories. Here, Anubhuti shared her transformation experience, which left people with goosebumps and a changed perception towards the transgender community. She mentioned, "If you want to make an inclusive India, you need to have an inclusive society for transgenders because the transgender community holds a microcosm of all the ills that our society has".

Rishi Kapoor, Head Management Committee, India Diversity Forum mentioned that as a D&I enthusiast himself, he was honoured to have the support of such leading dignitaries who are furthering the cause of diversity and inclusion to get on-ground results. "Conceptualised on the theme - Building an Inclusive India this conclave's discussions shed light on policies and actions that are required to bring around change and mark a new Diverse and Inclusive era for India Inc. As we now move into our second year at IDF, we are excited to further add value to our member organizations by getting them access to leading D&I voices of India and many more globally."

India Diversity Forum aims to make D&I conversations mainstream in India. To become a member or to request a copy of Best D&I Practices, mail to enquire@indiadiversityforum.org.

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( With inputs from ANI )

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