Author Archives: RFBF

Following Dare to Overcome (DTO) India 2024, we had meetings in Nepal to explore the potential for a similar initiative in Nepal and the applicability of our Human Rights and Business Skills Education initiative. Potential partners from Nepal participated in DTO India. While there was openness and interest, the basic needs for development and employment dominated the discussions.

New Delhi, India – December 10, 2024 – The Dare to Overcome (DTO) 2024 conference, held on December 9 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, concluded with resounding success, promoting peace and unity through intercultural understanding. The event brought together global leaders, innovators, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) from leading corporations to celebrate and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces and communities.

A key highlight of the conference was the presentation of the King Husein Global Business & Intercultural Peace Awards, which recognized exemplary leaders in three categories: Core Business; Social Investment & Philanthropy; and Advocacy & Public Policy Engagement. The honorees for 2024 were Jyotsna Suri and Lawrence Chong (Core Business), Abha Dalmia and Akhil Gupta (Social Investment & Philanthropy), and Shombi Sharp and Baroness Verma (Advocacy & Public Policy Engagement). These leaders exemplify how businesses can foster interfaith harmony and drive meaningful societal change.

The event also featured the unveiling of the 2024 India REDI Monitor Report by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. This report highlighted the top 10 companies excelling in religious diversity and inclusion practices, underscoring India’s leadership in leveraging its cultural diversity as a strategic business advantage. REDI Monitor Report recognized top-performing companies on the BSE 100 for their exemplary efforts in promoting religious equity, diversity, and inclusion. Companies such as Godrej, Reliance Industries, Britannia, HDFC Life, Larsen & Toubro, Aditya Birla, InterGlobe, Hindalco, Indian Oil, Samvardhana Motherson, and Shree Cement were highlighted for their commitment to fostering faith-friendly workplaces. The report revealed that 98% of BSE 100 companies incorporate mentions or illustrations of religion in their diversity practices, positioning India as a leader in workplace inclusion globally. By comparison, the 2024 US REDI Monitor reports 86% of Fortune 500 companies mention or illustrate religion on their diversity pages, and the 2024 UK REDI Monitor finds that 79% of companies on the FTSE 100 Index do likewise.”

The event featured insightful panels, including ‘Changemakers on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity,’ with speakers like Parmesh Shahani, Dr. Anjlee Agarwal, and Keshav Suri, and ‘Women and Workplace Inclusivity,’ featuring Baroness Verma, Sahira Nair, and Sanjoy K. Roy. Special sessions included a fireside chat on ‘Designing the Future – AI, Ethics & Faith’ with Lawrence Chong and Anirudh Suri, and ‘Paths to the Divine,’ which explored faith, interconnectedness, and diversity, with insights from Haji Syed Salman Chishti and Archbishop Dr. Felix Machado.

A series of cultural performances enriched the day, starting with Maestro Sessions by Raghav Chandra and Ishan Sharma, the soulful melodies of ‘Faqat by Alif’ in the afternoon, and culminating in an electrifying gala performance by the ‘Kutle Khan Project,’ showcasing the vibrant rhythms of Rajasthan. This extraordinary gathering left attendees inspired by the power of intercultural understanding and collective harmony

Brian Grim, Global Chairperson Dare to Overcome, said, “The resounding success of Dare to Overcome 2024 highlights the transformative potential of diversity and inclusion in shaping pathways to peace and innovation. India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage has once again demonstrated its capacity to inspire the world by showcasing how unity in diversity drives societal and corporate progress.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, reflected on the event’s impact, stating, “Dare to Overcome 2024 was a powerful celebration of India’s position as a beacon of unity in diversity. The event showcased how varied backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures converge in India to create innovation and collaboration. By embracing unique ideas and perspectives, we can continue to strengthen the diversity that defines our corporate landscape and drives collective success.”

Syed Shams Jawaid, Producer Dare to Overcome & Vice President, International Events Teamwork Arts, remarked, “Hosting the second annual Dare to Overcome Conference in India has been an incredible journey of celebrating Unity in Diversity. This year’s event reaffirmed the importance of India’s cultural and spiritual richness as a business asset, fostering innovation and collaboration. Bringing together visionary leaders to build a more inclusive and promising future remains at the heart of our mission, and this event has furthered that goal in meaningful ways.”

DTO 2024 also introduced the Human Rights, Business Skills & Peace Secondary School Curriculum, an initiative designed to educate future generations on the intersection of human rights and business skills. This innovative curriculum aims to build inclusive communities by integrating constitutional rights with essential professional capabilities.

The success of Dare to Overcome 2024 reaffirms the importance of unity in diversity as a driving force for societal and corporate growth. It stands as a testament to the potential of collaborative efforts to shape a better, more inclusive world.

Visit DTO Website for highlights and insights from the event.

About Teamwork Arts:

Teamwork Arts is a highly versatile production company, with roots in the performing arts, social action, and the corporate world.  For over 30 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world, and brought the world to India, presenting the finest of Indian performers, writers, change makers, and visual artistes in the knowledge and arts space, in India and abroad. Every year, we produce over 33 festivals in 72 cities, and 26 countries, in the fields of performing & visual arts, as well as literature. We produce the world’s largest literary gathering: the annual Jaipur Literature Festival; JLF international now travels to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the Maldives, and Europe. Even amidst the upheaval and unsettling times of 2020 and through 2021, Teamwork Arts successfully launched the digital series, JLF Brave New World and Words Are Bridges, which were viewed by over 4.8 million people in their first season. Through its digital avatar, the Jaipur Literature Festival reached over 27 million viewers in January 2021. Art Matters empowers artistes across India to collaborate by commissioning them to create new works. The digital series Be Inspired was launched in 2021 – a series that crystal gazes into the future, with conversations on science, technology, innovation, environment, and more. The first on-ground edition of ‘Be Inspired – Festival of Ideas’ was held in April 2023.

More information at: www.teamworkarts.com

For more information, please contact:

Teamwork Arts:

• Apeksha Bajaj
• Public Relations & Corporate Communications
• M: +9654880195 | E: apeksha@teamworkarts.com
• Zimisha Communications:
• Imtiaz Alam
• M: +91 98102 27818 | E: imtiaz@zimisha.com
• Santosh Kumar
• M: +91 9990937676 | E: santosh@zimisha.com

2024 India REDI Monitor Report

Full Report EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 9 December 2024

At Dare to Overcome 2024, the full India REDI (Religious Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Monitor Report, as provided by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, will be presented, with special recognition of the 10 top-scoring companies for their achievement.

Contact: Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, media@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org – +1.410.268.7809

Indian BSE Companies Outperform Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 on Religious Inclusion Measure

Most BSE 100 Companies Mention Religion as Part of Diversity Commitments

New Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Monitor Gives Top Marks to 10 BSE-Listed Companies  

However, No BSE 100 Report Having Faith-Related Affinity Groups

Companies can opt-in to benchmarking REDI Index in 2025

(New Delhi, India) – A new annual ranking of the 100 largest companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE 100) shows nearly all mention faith and religion as part of corporate diversity commitments. The secular Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s new Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Monitor, released today, gives high marks to major companies like Godrej, Reliance, and Interglobe (parent company of Indigo) for recognizing the importance of faith in the lives of employees and customers.

The 2024 India REDI Monitor establishes a new benchmark for annual assessment of the state of corporate India’s inclusion of religion as an integral part of its diversity initiatives. Not only does it allow domestic trends to be monitored, it also allows Indian companies to be viewed in comparison with global peers. For example, Nearly all (98%) of the BSE 100 mention or illustrate religion on their diversity pages. substantially higher than both the share of Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. The 2024 US REDI Monitor reports 86% of Fortune 500 companies mention or illustrate religion on their diversity pages, and the 2024 UK REDI Monitor finds that 79% of companies on the FTSE 100 Index do likewise (see chart).

In addition to this positive inclusivity trend emerging in a number of major Indian corporations, the REDI Monitor also reveals opportunities for continued growth among BSE 100 companies. While some BSE 100 companies report having employee resource groups (ERGs) for diversity characteristics such as gender and sexual orientation, there is no public mention of such groups for faith-oriented ERGs among BSE companies. By contrast, 62 Fortune 500 companies (12.4%) publicly report having faith-oriented ERGs and 12% of FTSE 100 companies have such ERGs. Having such ERGs is one of 11 best practices companies around the world benchmark using the opt-in REDI Index. For instance, high-scoring Salesforce’s faith-and-belief business equality ERG ‘Faithforce’ has its largest chapter in India.

“This is a remarkable achievement for India, an indication that its top performing businesses are drawing on the country’s rich cultural and religious diversity as a business advantage in an increasingly globalised and diverse world,” said Dr. Brian Grim, Chair of Dare to Overcome, a global corporate diversity initiative with annual meetings in Washington DC, London, and New Delhi. “We look forward to celebrating this achievement on Monday 9th December at our 2nd annual Dare to Overcome “Unity in Diversity” business conference in New Delhi,” remarked Grim, who is also President of the secular Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, the leading global authority on issues surrounding how faith contributes to global business and economic success.

The top ten companies in the 2024 India REDI Monitor raking are (in alphabetical order):

• — Britannia Industries
• — Godrej Consumer Products
• — HDFC Life Insurance Company
• — Hindalco Industries
• — Indian Oil Corporation
• — Interglobe Aviation
• — Larsen & Toubro
• — Reliance Industries
• — Samvardhana Motherson International
• — Shree Cement

India’s biggest brands recognise that respect for cultural and religious diversity is vital to recruitment, retention and creating a productive work environment. “As I noted in a report for the World Economic Forum, with religious affiliation and diversity continuing to grow world-wide between now and 2050, companies that fail to understand the value of a religiously inclusive workplace are increasingly at a competitive disadvantage,” stated Grim.

2024 India REDI Monitor Top Line Findings include:

• – Nearly every company (98%) mentions or illustrates religion as part of their commitment to workplace diversity, with 17% doing so on their main diversity webpage, 76% on another diversity-related page, and 5% doing so with an image only
• – 71% of the BSE 100 signal religious inclusion through images
• – 73% of the BSE 100 provide links to dig deeper into their diversity programmes
• – 44% of the BSE 100 mention the rationale for their diversity commitments
• – 73% have social media posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) related to religion and/or religious diversity

Not only do 98% of the BSE 100 showcase diversity through statements and images, but more than 7-in-10 (73%) also celebrate festivals by posting faith-positive greetings on their social media accounts year after year. Also, religion is prominently reflected in the unsaid Standard Operating Procedures, which include practices such as lighting a diya before any inauguration or event, applying tilak, and decorating for Christmas.

“The presence of faith-based diversity in Indian corporations is as organic as Indian society itself,” said Dr. Farha Iman, a senior researcher on the REDI Monitor study. “However,” she also notes that “in the current socio-political landscape, managing this diversity necessitates extra effort to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the organization. The presence of diversity doesn’t automatically ensure safety but faith fluent management and measures ensures it.”

While the 2024 REDI Monitor Scores for the BSE 100 reveal nearly all of listed companies reference religion on their Main Diversity Page or elsewhere, none of these companies have established faith-oriented Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). This discrepancy suggests that the representation of diversity within companies may reflect the pluralistic nature of Indian society rather than the organizations’ proactive efforts to create programmes to foster religious diversity, equity and inclusion. The visibility of faith symbols among employees indicates that individuals do bring their faith-based identities to the workplace. Nevertheless, the report highlights that Indian companies are fostering organic and living faith spaces by acknowledging this diversity.

The full study, including its methodology and the rankings of all BSE 100 companies can be found this link.

On Monday, 9th December 2024, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the the full 2024 India REDI Monitor Report will be presented, with special recognition of they 10 top-scoring companies for their achievement at the 2nd annual Dare to Overcome ‘Unity in Diversity’ conference.

In addition to the REDI Monitor, Indian companies are invited to participate in the India REDI Index survey which will open for companies to opt-in to benchmark their progress in (and be recognized for) including religion and belief as an integral part of their overall commitment to workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. It is free and open to any Indian company with 2,000 or more employees. Indian companies interested in participating in the 2025 edition of the REDI Index have until 1st July 2025 to submit their surveys. Results will be announced at the annual Dare to Overcome “Unity in Diversity” Conference in New Delhi.

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ABOUT DARE TO OVERCOME

Dare to Overcome (DTO) is the premier global event for business leaders to share best practices, virtues, and values in being allies of differing cultures in workplaces and marketplaces, thus building peace.

Held first in Rio de Janeiro (2016) with the support of Brazilian President Michel Temer, then South Korea (2018) under UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s patronage, Tokyo (2021) with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s active support, and Washington DC (2022) with American Airlines, the world’s largest carrier, becoming our partner.

The first India edition of Dare to Overcome was held in New Delhi on 4 October 2023. The 2nd edition will be held in New Delhi on 8th and 9th December 2024 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Teamwork Arts is the Producer of the India Chapter of Dare to Overcome. For over 25 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world and brought the world to India. Teamwork produces over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across more than 40 cities. We produce the world’s largest literary festival – the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. For more information, visit: www.DareToOvercome.com or www.DTO.world

Dare to Overcome (DTO), the premier global initiative promoting peace and unity through intercultural understanding in workplaces and marketplaces, is set to host its flagship event at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. This year’s edition, the 2nd annual Dare to Overcome conference in India, continues its mission of fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces, while advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

Check out the programme!

Global Platform for Peace and Inclusion

DTO 2024 will gather global business leaders, thought innovators, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) from leading multinational corporations such as Salesforce, PayPal, Equinix, and American Airlines. The event will serve as a platform to share practices and celebrate advancements in creating inclusive workplaces and communities that champion intercultural harmony and allyship.

At the event, the prestigious “King Husein Global Business Intercultural Peace Awards” will honor corporate leaders advancing allyship in three key areas:

• — Core Business: This includes recognizing innovative practices in HR, training, supply chains, and product development, promoting interfaith understanding.
• — Social Investment & Philanthropy: This includes celebrating strategic contributions to social causes and community aid.
• — Advocacy & Public Policy: This includes highlighting efforts to foster social cohesion and dialogue across communities.

These awards spotlight leaders who exemplify the power of diversity, in order to foster peace and progress.

Last years awardees included Nadir Godrej, Sangita Jindal, and Zainab Patel. The new awardees will be announced shortly.

REDI Monitor

Furthermore, at Dare to Overcome 2024, the full India REDI (Religious Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Monitor Report, as provided by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, will be released and presented, with special recognition of the 10 top-scoring companies for their achievement,

Innovative Curriculum: Building Peace Among Future Generations

DTO 2024 will also mark the introduction of the Human Rights, Business Skills & Peace Secondary School Curriculum, set to pilot in India in 2024-2025. This unique initiative integrates ten core human rights, guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, with essential business skills, fostering inclusive peace and mutual understanding among future generations.

For instance, the lesson on “Freedom from Discrimination” combines knowledge about equality rights with networking skills, encouraging students to appreciate and collaborate with diverse individuals, while honing key professional abilities.

Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, said, “India stands as a beacon of unity in diversity, with its workforce enriched by varied backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Through Dare to Overcome, we aim to create inclusive platforms that empower individuals to embrace unique ideas and perspectives. This conference celebrates the strength of diversity in the Indian corporate landscape, where talents converge to drive innovation, collaboration, and collective success.”

Syed Shams Jawaid, Producer of Dare to Overcome, noted: “We’re excited to host the second annual Dare to Overcome Conference in India, a celebration of Unity in Diversity. This year, we continue to explore how India’s rich cultural and spiritual diversity serves as a powerful business asset, fostering innovation and collaboration. Our mission remains to bring together visionary leaders from diverse walks of life, working in harmony to build a more inclusive, equitable, and promising future for all. This event stands as our contribution to making the world a better, more equal place. We hope to see you there.”

Event Details:

• — Date: December 9, 2024
• — Time: 9:00 AM onwards
• — Venue: India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi

For more information, visit: https://daretoovercome.com/

Indeed, India’s rich cultural diversity stands as one of its most profound strengths, shaping its remarkable achievements and global impact. This year’s Dare to Overcome ‘Unity in Diversity’ conference will honor businesses that lead the way in harnessing this diversity as a catalyst for innovation and growth. On 9th December, the event will spotlight how embracing inclusion and cultural richness creates a powerful competitive advantage in an increasingly interconnected world.

In follow-up to our recent event in Parliament during National Grief Awareness Week, this month’s Faith@Work zoom call is, “Managing grief in the workplace: Why employers should embrace faith inclusion to support their staff.” Several of the speakers from the Parliament – specifically leaders from the NHS’s Muslim and Christian networks — will be sharing how faith adds resiliency to workplaces.

Yusra Choudry

• Pharmacist, NHS National Muslim Network Co-Chair

Tanya Malik

• NHS England, NHS Christian Staff Network Co-Chair

David Law, Moderator

• Thames Water
  

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(Pictured from top left: Wales; Scotland; UK Parliament; England)

By Brian Grim

We explored and celebrated the role that faith plays in making workplaces and communities more resilient and caring in a series of meetings across three of the four countries of the UK.

In Wales, I met with Simon Gibson and the FoRB Foundation’s Julie and Matthew Jones. We explored the possibility of hosting a Faith@Work conference in Wales in the near future.

Gibson is the chairman of Alacrity Graduate Entrepreneurship Foundation and chief executive of Wesley Clover Corporation, a global technology investment fund. He’s a non-executive director of the Celtic Manor Resort, the United Kingdoms’ largest leisure resort. He’s also a regent of the Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford and a professor at the Swansea University School of Management. He was most recently High Sheriff of Gwent, a royal appointment. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999 and Commander of the same order (CBE) in 2018 for his services to Wales’ industry, community and economy.

In Scotland, Louise Bailey, Belonging Lead at OVO, invited companies headquartered in Glasgow to engage in a morning long discussion on the business case for faith-and-belief-friendly workplaces. Companies participating were invited to consider benchmarking their journeys on creating religious inclusive workplaces, using the REDI index. One outcome of the meeting was to pencil in a date for a city-wide follow up on 23 April 2025.

In England, we had a series of meetings, including a discussion with board chairs from FTSE 100 organizations hosted by Oliver Pawle at Korn Ferry on religiously inclusive workplaces. Following that we met with partners at Equinix, whose president of EMEA, Bruce Owen, has offered their headquarters to host our 29 April 2025 annual Faith@Work summit. Finally, we had a roundtable discussion in the Palace of Westminster on the role of faith in providing health and resilience as people face the challenges of life. Participants included HSBC’s diversity lead, the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy, and leaders of the Muslim and Christian networks the NHS.

If your company has an Interfaith member/representative in Ireland, please put them in touch with ServiceNow’s Mariana Ciocca Alves Passos, and she can add them to the calendar invite. Or they can just join on Zoom using this link.

On Monday, had a great conversation on Faith and Work with Forbes’ Seth Cohen at Nasdaq studios as part of ForbesTalk from Nasdaq Marketsite (coming soon!).

Seth also interviewed football legend and business leader Steve Young on how his faith animates all his work. Stay tuned for the interviews to air in the coming weeks!

Are you based in Scotland?

Would you benefit from a discussion on faith, religion and beliefs in the workplace?

Faith is a core part of many people’s being and to ensure people can bring their whole selves to work, we need to create faith friendly workplaces.

If you’d like to join our discussion on 2nd December to talk about how to do this and share ideas, please reach out on LinkedIn to Louise Bailey, Belonging Lead at OVO.

On the occasion of National Grief Awareness Week, join us for an important discussion of the role spirituality can play in making working environments more resilient and able to respond to the difficulties of life inside and outside the workplace.

Speakers from the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy and their corporate partners as well as leaders of the faith-based employee resource groups (ERGs) at the UK National Health Service (NHS) will describe the benefits and spiritual health outcomes of opening the workplace to faith and belief.

Attending to spiritual health is a part of a trend in best global corporate practices, as measured by the REDI Index, which a growing number of UK and international organisations are using to benchmark progress in workplace religious diversity, equity and inclusion.

The discussion will be moderated by the APPG FoRB and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation.

Registration Required.