The Avtar Group, India’s leading workplace culture consulting firm, conducted a first-of-its-kind dipstick survey of senior leadership from Indian and multinational companies to examine how companies in India are responding to the US Government’s executive order ending DEI efforts in federal government. This order, which has resulted in many US-headquartered MNCs and some Indian affiliates of the US-based companies rolling back their DEI initiatives, has raised questions about the future of DEI in the Indian corporate space. The inputs were gathered from 44 companies – a mix of Indian-origin, US-headquartered, and non-US multinational companies.
Key findings:
• Nearly all the Indian MNCs and non-US MNCs stated that DEI initiatives will continue as is.
• Among the US companies, 50% of their Indian entities said that their DEI initiatives will continue unchanged (17%) or with some modifications (33%).
• 71% of all the companies surveyed stated that they pursue DEI to ensure an inclusive, sensitive and stronger work culture.
• 33% of the Indian affiliates of US-based companies feel that discontinuing DEI could reduce the organization’s ability to attract talent, and 28% feel that it could lead to poor employee morale.
• 56% of US-based companies said that women will be affected by the US government’s executive order.

The findings show that Indian and non-US MNCs will be continuing their DEI programs without any change. Among US multinationals operating in India, while close to half of the surveyed companies stated that DEI initiatives are being paused, the other half said that DEI programs will continue un-hindered or with modifications.

Given the ongoing debate about the benefits of DEI, another study that offers insight into how businesses perceive its benefits is Avtar & Seramount ‘Best Companies for Women in India’ (BCWI) listing. The 10th edition of BCWI was launched earlier this month, and registrations are currently open. Initiated in 2016, BCWI has helped hundreds of companies nurture inclusive workplaces, by providing comprehensive data breakdown across industries and geographies, identifying gaps in organizations’ inclusive practices and offering actionable solutions. The 2024 edition saw the participation of 361 companies from different industries, underscoring the study’s popularity in India. Along with BCWI, Avtar & Seramount release the ‘Most Inclusive Companies Index’ (MICI), which recognizes a company’s efforts to promote inclusivity for all.

Also, as sustainability becomes an essential focus and with BRSR becoming mandatory in India, 2025 sees the launch of the ‘Best Companies for ESG in India’ (BCESG),to recognize exemplary ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) commitment of participating companies.For more on Avtar & Seramount’s benchmarking studies, visit: https://www.avtarinc.com/enrich/dei-benchmarking/

Speaking about the current debate around DEI, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President Avtar Group, said, “Our study reveals that, despite the pushback on DEI in the US, companies in India continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to DEI. The DEI movement in our country emerged as a cultural necessity for organizations, since we have a highly diverse talent pool. Companies here have always prioritized building a culture of inclusivity for their employees. DEI in Indian companies is also a function of government mandates such as the Maternity Benefit Act, POSH Act and the SEBI directive on women on boards. In addition, Indian-based firms strongly link DEI to business success: More than 75% of the Avtar-Seramount ‘Best Companies for Women in India’ (BCWI)report increased profits, enhanced innovation revenue and improved customer satisfaction scores because of their DEI efforts.”
Elaborating further on the BCWI study, Dr Saundarya noted, “The ‘Best Companies for Women in India’has not only helped increase women’s representation in companies but also helped to create an inclusive culture, one that leads to greater productivity and profit and heightened all-round talent retention. In the current DEI landscape, our benchmarking studies can bring the much-needed clarity on how companies in India perceive DEI. I welcome organizations to participate in this landmark 10thedition of BCWI, alongside MICI and BCESG, not only to benchmark their progress in fostering inclusion, but also to send out a strong message that a positive work culture is important to them.”

About Avtar:
Avtar, founded in 2000 by Dr Saundarya Rajesh, is one of India’s leading workplace culture consulting firms, supporting hundreds of companies in creating diverse and supportive workplaces. Avtar is credited with introducing the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to Indian corporates, and is also the country’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women.
An ISO 20700 certified firm, Avtar’s biggest research project is its annual benchmarking study – the 100 Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) and the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI). Done in partnership with Seramount, BCWI and MICI are India’s largest DEI benchmarking studies, which have paved the way for the employment of more women and other under-represented groups. Avtar also promotes diversity hiring through MyAvtar, India’s first diversity job portal.
As Avtar enters its 25th year, here’s an overview of its contributions:
• Provided advisory services in inclusive practices to 500+ organizations
• Conducted 20,000+ training programs in companies of different sizes, spanning industries and locations
• Coached more than 25,000 managers in DEI
• Facilitated the re-entry of 1,00,000 second-career women into the workforce through MyAvtar.com
• Provided Intentional Career Pathing training to 200,000+ women, preventing them from leaving the workforce
• Offered unique skilling programs such as DigiPivot (a prestigious course in digital marketing, conducted in partnership with Google, HUL, and ISB) to hundreds of women.
• Provided career intentionality training, employment guidance, and access to industry leaders every year to 10,000+ girls from underprivileged backgrounds through Project Puthri.

For its transformational impact in the realm of DEI, Avtar Group was listed in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 Listing by Strait Times & INSEAD at Singapore in 2022.
To know more, visit www.avtarinc.com | www.myavtar.com