With the Covid-19 pandemic pushing the entire working ecosystem to work from home and eventually to hybrid mode, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) situation in organisations in India substantially improved, as per a study conducted by Intel. The survey found that the pandemic has been a catalyst for businesses to reimagine the workplace model and adapt to new ways of working.

A total of 71 per cent of Indian leaders whose companies offer hybrid work options said their organisation has significantly adapted DE&I initiatives for a hybrid workforce. That compares to 60 per cent of leaders globally, suggesting Indian businesses are at the forefront of anticipating inclusion challenges in an evolving workplace.

On the other hand, 16 per cent of Indian business leaders have indicated a negative impact on DE&I progress due to the pandemic, with the top reason being that remote work has made inclusivity challenging.

About 69 per cent of survey participants who have set DE&I goals said they want to achieve them in the next two years, and 77 per cent of those are confident in the company’s ability to do so – compared to 66 per cent of business leaders globally.

Meanwhile, 94 per cent of respondents with a hybrid workforce in India agreed that technology will make it easier to achieve their DE&I goals, highlighting its importance whereas 51 per cent respondents said that exploring how technology might help bolster their DE&I commitments is one of their top three priorities in the next 12 months.

Impact of COVID-19 on inclusivity

In the survey, 66 per cent said that remote working and digitalisation has made it easier to hire from underrepresented groups, and 57 per cent said that the acceleration of digital transformation spurred by the pandemic has encouraged the adoption of new tools that will support inclusivity.

On the other hand, 55 per cent of those who have indicated a COVID-driven negative impact on DE&I said that working remotely has made inclusivity more challenging. This survey was conducted among 3,136 business decision-makers or influencers of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, in organisations employing 100+, across 17 countries,


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