Source: The Economic Times
By Roopa Kudva
Since 2000, India’s private sector has paid greater attention to diversity. The principal focus has been gender diversity — increasing women’s representation in the workforce and, more recently, in leadership roles. Though these efforts continue, in a country as diverse as India, they are simply not enough.
Any agenda for diversity in the workplace warrants a consideration of the factors that lead to exclusion in India: caste, gender, region of origin, religion, special needs and sexual orientation. There is a significant divide in the quality of healthcare, education and other essential services between the so-termed ‘upper castes’ and others.
Caste is a pervasive hurdle in corporate India’s path to diversity. ‘Upper’ castes comprise about a quarter of India’s population, but are disproportionately represented in the private sector. Studies show that 94% of top jobs went to the upper castes and 96 of Fortune India’s 100 companies are run by upper-caste Indians.
To know more, read the full op-ed here.
