India Included by Godrej DEI Lab

How do you write a novel while holding down a full-time job, raising a family, and navigating the chaotic pulse of Mumbai? On 9 November 2025, as part of Mumbai LitFest 2025, we hosted a panel with three acclaimed authors, Amrita Mahale, Jane Borges, and Pronoti Datta. The conversation, chaired by our own Supriya Nair, touched on the “exhilarating” artistic freedom of walking the city streets and the rigorous discipline of giving up weekends for words. The writers reflected on how unpaid labour, professional careers, and the city itself shape their stories. They also foregrounded the importance of friendship and community as vital support systems for sustaining creative work.   Learn more about the Godrej DEI Lab and our work at https://www.godrejdeilab.com/.   Our Guests: Amrita Mahale (Real Life: A Haunting Literary Mystery Set In The Himalayas | A Story Of Obsession, Silence And Control)   Jane Borges (Bombay Balchao),   Pronoti Datta (In the Beginning there was Bombay Duck - A Food History of Mumbai / Half Blood)   Moderator: Supriya Nair   Find the Lab on social media: Instagram Linkedin   Email us at [email protected] / [email protected]   This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Head of Audio Production: Kartik Kulkarni Sound Editing & Mixing: Nihar Temkar

On 7 November 2025, Mumbai LitFest 2025 hosted an intimate conversation between author Tarini Mohan and our very own Preetham Gandhi Sunkavalli, Deputy General Manager with the Brand Team at Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. Together, they explored Tarini’s memoir, Lifequake, which traces her journey from a fast-paced life in New York and Uganda to the aftermath of a near-fatal accident. In this candid exchange, Tarini gently pushes back against the cliché of being called “inspiring,” reflects on how friendship became the “architecture” of her recovery, and speaks about the profound shift from independence to interdependence.   Learn more about the Godrej DEI Lab and our work at https://www.godrejdeilab.com/.   Our Guest: Tarini Mohan   Moderator: Preetham Gandhi Sunkavalli   Book: LIFEQUAKE : A Story of Hope and Humanity   Find the Lab on social media: Instagram Linkedin   Email us at [email protected] / [email protected]   This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Head of Audio Production: Kartik Kulkarni Sound Editing & Mixing: Nihar Temkar

The ‘DEI’ in the Godrej Lab’s name expands to ‘D’ for diversity, the representation of various populations in a given group of people; ‘E’ for equity, which means fair treatment for all people in a group, by taking each individual’s unique situation into account; and ‘I’ for inclusion, which is about a culture that makes every individual feel like a valued part of the group. Godrej isn’t unique in this respect. But it’s striving constantly to get inclusion right.    In this episode, Parmesh Shahani speaks to Sandhya Ramesh, the DEI Lead at Godrej Consumer Products Limited, and Zoya, who spearheads DEI for Godrej Properties Limited, about the story of inclusion at the Godrej Industries Group – how far we’ve come, how we got here, and how we’re going to go.   Sandhya and Zoya talk about scaling queer inclusion in a predominantly male workforce, the importance of meaningful disability inclusion initiatives, ensuring representation and fair treatment across leadership roles, and how to measure progress sustainably beyond DEI awards. The duo unpack challenges, celebrate progress, and discuss how a 127-year-old company is preparing for a more inclusive future.   Join us for insights into scaling inclusive hiring practices, fostering workplace equity, and creating cultures where diversity isn’t just a goal but a core value.   Learn more about the Godrej DEI Lab and our work at https://www.godrejdeilab.com/.   Our Guest: Sandhya Ramesh Zoya   Find the Lab on social media: Instagram Linkedin   Email us at [email protected] / [email protected]   This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Head of Audio Production: Kartik Kulkarni Producer: Meghna Gulati  Sound Editing & Mixing: Nihar Temkar

The idea of social and economic justice wasn’t invented in a boardroom – it was dreamed up and fought for throughout the world. It’s what gives us in India our constitutional values. It’s part of the laws that Indian workplaces have to follow, and it’s something Indians take very seriously.   That’s how we come by our ideas of DEI. But what’s it like in the rest of the world? Today, Parmesh Shahani is in conversation with Dr. Rohini Anand, a trailblazer in the world of DEI. Dr. Anand is the author of Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a globally recognised expert whose journey has taken her from academia to corporate boardrooms.   Dr. Anand reflects on her cultural shocks upon moving to the United States, her transition into corporate DEI work at Sodexo, and the pivotal gender balance case study that demonstrated the business value of inclusion. The conversation delves into how DEI efforts must be contextualised to local cultures, the importance of intersectionality, and the need for organisations to embed DEI into their core processes with measurable outcomes.    Tune in as they explore the evolving global landscape of DEI and how external factors like societal movements and backlash shape its progress. Hear how Dr. Anand’s insights and experiences offer actionable strategies for leaders and organisations to create inclusive, equitable workplaces that stand the test of time.   Learn more about the Godrej DEI Lab and our work at https://www.godrejdeilab.com/.   Our Guest: Rohini Anand   Find the Lab on social media: Instagram Linkedin   Email us at [email protected] / [email protected]   This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Head of Audio Production: Kartik Kulkarni Producer: Meghna Gulati  Sound Editing & Mixing: Nihar Temkar

Every two or three years, McKinsey puts out a diversity and inclusion insights report with numbers that show how the case for growth and the case for workplace inclusion go hand in hand. Basically, if you’re the type of business leader who thinks that DEI is fluff, or that it gets in the way of your bottomline, or that it’s fuzzy social service stuff – you’re very last-to-last century.    In this episode, Parmesh Shahani is in conversation with Anant Ahuja, Directorof ESG and Sustainability at Shahi Exports and CEO and Co-founder of the Good Business Lab, an initiative dedicated to transforming worker well-being across manufacturing and beyond.    Anant shares his journey of balancing a purpose-driven approach to business. He delves into how his family business empowers over 100,000 workers, primarily women, by offering high-quality jobs and fostering workplace inclusivity. He also discusses the transformative impact of the PACE programme and GBL’s innovative initiatives like health interventions and the InAce tool, that address worker well-being and amplify their voices.   Tune in as they explore actionable strategies for creating sustainable, worker-centered business models and the potential for businesses to drive meaningful social change.   Please note: The Gap Inc. PACE Program mentioned by Anant is now part of RISE: Reimagining Industry to Support Equality. RISE brings together the four largest women’s empowerment programs in the apparel industry - BSR’s HERproject, Gap Inc. P.A.C.E., CARE international, and Better Work—to empower women workers, embed gender equality in business practice and catalyse systems change.   Learn more about the Godrej DEI Lab and our work at https://www.godrejdeilab.com/.   Our Guest: Anant Ahuja   Find the Lab on social media: Instagram Linkedin   Email us at [email protected] / [email protected]   This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Head of Audio Production: Kartik Kulkarni Producer: Meghna Gulati  Sound Editing & Mixing: Nihar Temkar