Overview

On Monday, August 3, 2026, the 190‑year‑old Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry hosted the fourth edition of its Inclusion Awards 2026 at the ITC Grand Central in Parel, Mumbai. Deloitte acted as the Knowledge Partner for the event, underscoring the Chamber’s commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across corporate India.

marquee Best of the Best Winners

The marquee “Best of the Best” award was presented to three organisations: Amazon Seller Services Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd and Godrej Properties Ltd. These firms were recognised for exemplary DEI practices among more than twenty awardees.

Other Awardees

Additional winners spanned multiple sectors: Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Deutsche Bank Group, India, The New India Assurance Company Limited, Oil India Ltd, HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited, CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited, and The Indian Hotels Company Limited. In the MSME category, Harkesh Rubber LLP, The Vits Kamats Group, HAB Pharmaceuticals & Research Ltd and Ubisoft India Entertainment Pvt. Ltd were honoured.

Sector‑wise Segmentation

The awards were organised into five sectoral streams: Tech, Media & Telecom; BFSI; Consumer & Life Sciences; Energy, Resources & Industrials; and MSME. This structure highlighted DEI achievements across a broad cross‑section of the Indian economy.

Opening Remarks

In his welcome address, Rajiv Anand, immediate past President of the Bombay Chamber and MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank Ltd, stated that inclusion is a strategic imperative rather than a charitable act, emphasizing its role in building resilient, innovative and future‑ready organisations.

Panel Discussions – Inclusion Dialogue

The first panel, titled the Inclusion Dialogue, was chaired by Meenakshi Priyam, Chair of the DEI Committee of the Bombay Chamber and SVP & Head of HR – Auto at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Panelists included:

  • Rajiv Anand (Bombay Chamber/IndusInd Bank),
  • P.D. Singh, CEO – India & South Asia of Standard Chartered Bank, who noted that “the most inspiring part of this journey was seeing organisations move beyond good intentions to measurable business impact,”
  • Sathish Gopalaiah, President, Consulting Business at Deloitte South Asia, who observed that “organisations are moving beyond accommodating diversity to integrating inclusion into innovation, culture and competitive advantage.”

Second Panel – Challenging Norms

The second discussion featured two distinguished change‑makers:

  • Zainab Patel, an independent DEIB consultant, social entrepreneur and prominent figure in India’s transgender rights movement.
  • Alina Alam, winner of the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, four‑time TEDx speaker and Founder‑CEO of Mitti Cafe, the world’s largest chain of cafés managed by individuals with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities, including a location at Mumbai International Airport.

The conversation addressed the need to challenge DEI norms, sustain inclusion beyond individual leaders, and reshape perceptions of disability.

Inclusion Forum & Mentoring Programme

During the Bombay Chamber Inclusion Forum 2026, Meenakshi Priyam reiterated that “belonging is at the heart of inclusion,” stressing that authentic belonging empowers individuals to contribute, grow and succeed. The Forum also marked the successful completion of the third edition of the Bombay Chamber Mentoring for Enrichment (ME) Program, which paired 36 mentor‑mentee duos to develop women professionals and allies. All pairs were felicitated at the event.

Disclaimer

The press release is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the content.

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