Chapter 5: Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI): Perspectives From Select Indian Corporate Houses

Diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) discussions have grown in popularity, but most companies have not implemented them properly. Except for some renowned business houses, like The Tata Group and the Mahindras, and some IT companies, most Indian companies have not explicitly stated DEI plans as part of their corporate goals. So far, some of the common corporate human resource (HR) discussions have focused on DEI due to rising socio-economic differences and the desire to reduce prejudice. Therefore, for mainstreaming DEI, board diversity, gender and socio-economic disparity must be addressed. It is also recognised that DEI initiatives need more than empty promises and a strong focus. Poorly executed DEI projects often appear dishonest and do greater disservice. However, companies with long-term diversity management policies and HR integration protect their diverse workforce effectively. Further, it was observed that academic research on Indic DEI is scarce and mostly rooted in Western lenses on Indic challenges. Given this, and to fulfil the objective of this research, the current study uses a qualitative approach of extensive literature review, practitioner interviews and discussions with leaders from 15 organisations to assess DEI in India and identify any unique aspect of DEI implementations inherent to the Indian cultural context. The findings suggest that Indian organisations should prioritise strong policy interventions and re-evaluate DEI focus with native Indian thinking, rooted in ancient Indian cultural ethos and social context, to tackle local implementation challenges.