Across the world, companies are rolling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. It is being called a DEI crisis, but if we take a deeper look, it might just be the moment we needed. The performative layer of DEI has peeled off, and what is left behind is an uncomfortable but necessary truth. ‘We must do more than craft catchy acronyms or hashtag campaigns. We must reset.’
In India, this reset carries a different kind of urgency. DEI never reached the saturation point that it did globally. Instead, we borrowed terms, adopted Westernised playbooks, and celebrated visible milestones while ignoring what inclusion really means here. As companies pause, reevaluate, and even abandon DEI programs globally, maybe it is time we stop chasing the language. It is time we start building systems that work for our workplaces, our people, and our context.
This is not a crisis. This is a correction.
The DEI crisis we are witnessing is not the end of inclusion. It is the end of lazy inclusion. Years of quick-fix workshops, one-off training sessions, and token panels have led us to this moment. When companies realise that box-ticking exercises do not yield genuine impact, the reaction is to retreat. But maybe, just maybe, the better option is to rebuild.
At Changeincontent, we have spoken to professionals who do not need another corporate talk on women in leadership. They want hiring equality. We have spoken to LGBTQIA+ employees who do not want rainbow-themed merchandise in June. They want safety, fair appraisals, and the freedom to exist without judgment.
This DEI reset is not a crisis unless we treat it like one. It is a call to reimagine what inclusion can look like.
Tackling workplace loneliness is inclusion, too
Workplace loneliness is not just a personal issue; it is a culture issue. According to the 2024 Gallup State of the Workplace Report, 1 in 5 employees reports feeling lonely at work. That is 20% of your team possibly disengaged, burnt out, or silently struggling.
While most companies focus on leadership programs or DEI dashboards, something as simple as human connection is often forgotten. The truth is, connection looks different for everyone. For some, it is a chai break. For others, it is shared tasks over shared lunches.
And here is the twist we often ignore: loneliness impacts men at work more than we realise. Especially in male-dominated industries or leadership positions, many men do not have emotional outlets. Traditional employee engagement programmes fail them because they are not designed to acknowledge male isolation.
Inclusion does not just mean policies. It means seeing who is being left out—even in silence.
What we get wrong about DEI in India
India never had its “MeToo reckoning” in full. Our POSH laws are in place, but what about the enforcement? Patchy. Our law acknowledges LGBTQIA+ rights, but the HR policies do not always do it. Caste-based discrimination? Barely addressed.
And yet, many companies proudly claim to be DEI champions. The gap is not in intent; it is in execution. We confuse English-speaking, urban, able-bodied professionals with diversity. We celebrate inclusion when we see women at the top but forget the receptionist, the contractual staff, and the migrant labourers who make up our workplaces, too.
It is time to stop importing global DEI templates. India needs its own blueprint—one that accounts for intersectionality, regional disparity, socio-economic differences, and cultural nuance.
The DEI crisis is also the DEI opportunity
Let us admit it: The global backlash was inevitable. You cannot run a movement on visibility alone. Without real change, slogans backfire. But within this moment is also the opportunity to do better.
DEI is not about identity politics or moral superiority. It is about fairness, which, at its core, benefits everyone.
If we shift the conversation from representation to respect, from policy to people, from noise to nuance, we may just be able to write a new DEI story. One that does not get rolled back because it was never built on sand.
A fresh definition of inclusion
Can your workplace make space for a working mother’s mental health and a 55-year-old man’s career transition? Can you train your managers to address microaggressions and unlearn biases? And can you do more than celebrate Women’s Day once a year?
Let us not get stuck in terminology. DEI is not the goal. Respect, equity, safety, and belonging are.
The DEI crisis, then, is a chance to go beyond labels and rebuild the culture of work itself.
Final thoughts: The DEI crisis demands a policy reset
This DEI crisis is not an obituary. It is an audit. One that asks us tough questions: Who did our inclusion efforts truly serve? Who got left behind? Who was too tired to speak up?
Let us use this pause not to pull back but to pull forward. Let us do it with better policies, real action, and human-first thinking. And let us not wait for next Women’s Day to start. We are done with tokens. The work begins today.
Changeincontent’s perspective: The real reset starts now
We built Changeincontent to rewrite the narratives around safety, inclusion, and systemic change. This commentary is more than words. It is a challenge to every organisation still running old playbooks under new names.
As part of our #NoWomensDay campaign, we believe that real change is not once a year. It is every day, in every policy, and every workplace conversation. India does not need more “diversity slogans.” It requires policies that reflect its people.
Let this be the year we stop renaming problems and start solving them.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
