SRV Media
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 12: In India, where professionals dedicate an average of 168 hours to work each week, fostering a comfortable and productivity-enhancing atmosphere becomes crucial for employers. Proactive efforts to build a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) focused workplace require organizations to implement best practices, training sessions, and policies that nurture a system benefiting an inclusive future.
India Diversity Forum (IDF), an independent Section 8 Industry body, champions creating awareness and fostering a DEI rich ecosystem. Their mission is to eliminate all forms of discrimination at the workplace.
This year, on April 5th, 2024, they hosted the 4th Edition of India Diversity Conclave at Novotel Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai. The event brought together 15+ partners, 20+ diversity champions, 35+ speakers, over 350+ attendees, and garnered over 3,000 virtual viewers.
The conclave, conceptualized by IDF and the event was executed and managed by Sapphire Connect, India's most innovative B2B events co. that specialises in knowledge creation and sharing through bespoke events, research papers, and building business communities.

The conclave commenced with a welcome speech by Rishi Kapoor, Head of India Diversity Forum's Management Committee, and shed light on the various initiatives of India Diversity Forum, whilst also establishing a dire need for corporates to reflect on the need for DEI at the larger level. Following his speech, prominent industry leaders delivered insightful and inspiring presentations tackling key issues surrounding the current state of D&I in the corporate world.
The Conclave was honoured to feature speakers like Apurva Purohit, Rohit Pathak, Dipali Goenka, and Anisha Motwani, whose perspectives were both inspiring and thought-provoking.
"Diversity's end goal has always been to build better leaders, better organisations, and finally to transform the world into a better place for all citizens." says Apurva Purohit, Co-Founder of Aazol and Independent Director of Marico Ltd, LTI Mindtree Ltd, L&T Technology Services Ltd, and Navin Fluorine International Ltd.
Diversity extends beyond representation; it requires addressing the root causes of inequality. "The most important part of diversity is to create a culture that encourages diversity of thought and ideas in the organization" says Rohit Pathak, CEO of Birla Copper (Hindalco Industries Limited), President of IPCPA, and Director of FAI.
Highlighting the progress on the DEI front, this year also saw the release of IDF's Annual D&I Survey Report. The report gathered insights from 318 individuals across various industries, revealing a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Over 80% of companies surveyed allocated a dedicated DEI budget, showcasing a collective effort to drive inclusion across industries.

A key highlight was the launch of IDF's signature DEI Toolkit, a premium product designed to assist organizations in implementing, sustaining, and monitoring DEI practices over time. Kavita Sanikop, Head Diversity & Employee Engagement at JSW Group says that "JSW has a Diversity Council which comprises of leaders across locations and businesses. There are HR partners who assist them on the topic of diversity" - a testament to the theme of this year "Equitable Workplaces, Inclusive Society".
Another highlight was the Fireside Chat on "Conquering Norms and Leading the Way," a captivating conversation between Anisha Motwani, IDF'S Advisory Board Member and Independent Director of Abbott and Welspun, and Dipali Goenka, CEO & MD of Welspun Living Ltd. They unveiled their book "She Storms the Norms," which explores the "triple challenge" of societal beliefs, structural barriers, and self-doubt that women encounter.
The India Diversity Conclave explored various topics through engaging panel discussions with industry leaders. On the panel Discussion with the theme of "Inclusive Leadership for Positive Social Change" where Umar Ali Shaikh, CEO, Atos Solutions & Systems Pvt. Ltd. Satish Rao, IDF Advisory Board Member and Chairman, DRT - Anthea Aromatics Ltd.; Kartik Nagarajan, Managing Director of Business Consulting & Global Business Services, Nexdigm; Manish Tambe, CEO of Dassault Systemes; Tanya Chaitanya, CEO of Her Circle, Reliance and was moderated by Dr. Ritu Anand, IDF Advisory Board Member and Former Chief Leadership & Diversity Officer, TCS delved deep into fostering inclusive leadership practices and explored the intricacies and impact of inclusive leadership through an interactive and engaging discussion.
"When do we stop talking about diversity and inclusion and focus on culture and nothing else! Just so we can get the discussion out from the table, and where everybody gets treated equally and fairly. That is my definition of social change" concluded Dr. Ritu Anand, IDF Advisory Board Member and Former Chief Leadership & Diversity Officer, TCS
Additionally, a Masterclass by Pallavi Sankhe, Co-founder of POSH-Safe Workplaces, on "Counterbalancing Unconscious Bias" was a huge success, shedding light on different types of bias and strategies to counteract them. Some of the other eminent Speakers who shared their insights were Priyanka Gidwani, CHRO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd, Anandita Chauhan, Senior Vice President- People Function, HCLTech, Shiza Ansari Khan, Head - Human Resources, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, and Shikha Gupta, CHRO, Luminous Power Technologies added valuable insights on fostering inclusive environments and driving positive change within organizations.
The 4th Edition of India Diversity Conclave 2024 served as a valuable platform for fostering open dialogue and collaboration on building a more inclusive future for Indian workplaces.
To learn more about India Diversity Forum log onto: (indiadiversityforum.org).To get a copy of our DEI Survey click on: https://indiadiversityforum.org/idf-di-survey-2024/
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