In the light of the Trump Government’s recent executive order ending DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) efforts in federal government, a new survey by workplace culture consulting firm Avtar finds that despite the pushback on DEI in the US, companies in India intend to be committed to it.

The findings show that Indian companies and non-US MNCs will be continuing their DEI programmes 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 programmes will continue un-hindered or with modifications.

The study was a survey of senior leadership from 44 Indian and multinational companies (18 US-based companies, 13 homegrown Indian companies and 13 non-US multinationals).

33 per cent of the Indian affiliates of US-based companies feel that discontinuing DEI could reduce the organisation’s ability to attract talent, and 28 per cent feel that it could lead to poor employee morale.

33 per cent of the companies surveyed have stated that they will continue DEI with some modifications – this means that while DEI will not be pursued under a formal DEI agenda, it will be adopted through other avenues such as CSR or by transforming the workplace culture.

“The DEI movement in our country emerged as a cultural necessity for organisations since we have a highly diverse talent pool. Companies here have always prioritised 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,” Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group, said in a statement.

Published on February 20, 2025