The 2021 Out & Equal Quarter 3 India Forum – in partnership with our India Business Inclusion Council – brought together LGBTQI+ and ally professionals from Indian and multinational companies on September 8. The event focused on the Future of Work and explored how younger generations are driving change in the workplace and what we can do together to create more inclusive environments for both the present and future workforce. 

The forum began with opening remarks from Out & Equal, Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder of Pride Circle and Manisha Dubey, the India Pride Sponsor at Accenture. Then, participants heard from three keynote speakers who shared three unique perspectives on the future of work. First to speak was Medha Sandill, Customer Success Manager at HackerEarth. Medha spoke at length on the viewpoint and experiences of a nonbinary person currently working at an Indian company. Then we heard from Mishkkaa Verma, a grade 9 student and activist who shared her hopes of what her first day of work will be like. Finally, Aruna Desai, co-founder of Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents shared the perspective of parents of LGBTQ children: their sense of belonging at work and their hopes for their children’s future workplaces. 

After the remarks, attendees broke out into interactive small groups in order to share their vision for the future of work, some of the barriers to achieving that vision, intergenerational collaboration, and the small steps that we can all take in order to create a more inclusive workplace for all.  

Highlights from the day