AMCHAM convened the first meeting of the D&I Committee for 2024-25 on September 27th in hybrid mode in Mumbai. Ms. Rakhi Sikka, Regional Director – Western Region, AMCHAM gave opening remarks and briefly introduced Ms. Kaku Nakhate, Chairperson – D&I Committee and National Executive Board Member, AMCHAM and President and India Country Head, Bank of America. Ms. Kaku Nakhate welcomed all participants, including from the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai: Mr. Michael Schreuder, Deputy Principal Officer and Mr. John McAdams, Commercial Officer. Ms. Nakhate shared how, several years ago, D&I became a critical focus of Bank of America’s operations and since then, integrated into the core of BofA’s business strategy, emphasizing the importance of fostering a culture of inclusion and equity. Mr. Michael Schreuder and Mr. John McAdams discussed how the U.S. government is actively promoting women’s empowerment and inclusion in key sectors such as research, technology and business. Mr. Schreuder added that the U.S. Consulate encourages all U.S. companies operating in India to champion D&I efforts, aligning with the U.S. government’s broader agenda of diversity.

Ms. Somna Singh, Country Head of HR, Bank of America presented the company’s D&I policies, illustrating how the company has institutionalized diversity as a fundamental business goal. She discussed specific programs aimed at promoting gender diversity, workplace inclusion, and support for minority employees. This was followed by the sharing of best practices and insights from members. The importance of flexible working hours for women post-maternity leave and the need for policies that support women re-entering the workforce, often referred to as their ‘second innings’ were highlighted. Providing adequate support for childbirth, adoption, IVF treatments, and ensuring the safety of women in the workplace, especially regarding transportation after work hours, LGBTQ+ inclusion, with emphasis on ensuring that insurance and medical coverage include same-sex partners and transgender corrective surgery, were a few other suggestions from members. The inclusion of accessibility in policies, ensuring that workplaces are designed to accommodate all employees, especially those with disabilities as well as the need for digital accessibility and feasibility of helping specially-abled individuals secure employment across various sectors was mentioned. Members discussed the need to ensure D&I policies are implemented effectively at all levels and across all sectors to genuinely promote inclusion.

The committee decided to reach out to all member companies to gather information on their existing D&I policies and suggestions for future policies. The collective feedback would be used to compile a D&I policy paper for which Dun & Bradstreet offered to be the knowledge partner. Ms. Rakhi Sikka mentioned that a dedicated session on D&I talent management will be included in the forthcoming Western Region signature event to further address best practices and strategies for attracting and retaining diverse talent. The committee expressed their gratitude to Ms. Kaku Nakhate for her leadership as Chairperson and ongoing commitment to advancing D&I initiatives.