Corporate India has learned how to count. Gender ratios are tracked, representation charts are published, and diversity dashboards are proudly displayed in annual reports. From boardrooms to HR portals, the message is clear: organisations are serious about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Or are they?
Scratch beneath the surface, and a more uncomfortable truth appears. A workplace can be statistically diverse and still deeply unequal. It can employ people from different backgrounds and still make many of them feel invisible. A policy may be designed as neutral and still be experienced as biased. A culture may describe itself as inclusive while quietly rewarding conformity. The problem lies in how DEI is understood, and more importantly, in how it is measured. Most organisations treat diversity, equity and inclusion as one combined goal. In practice, however, there are three very different realities.
Defining DEI
- Diversity is about numbers. It answers a simple question: who is present in the organisation? How many women? How many...
