'Diversity and inclusion are imperative for today's workplace'

Political and social change have encouraged companies to make their diversity and inclusion policies more equitable. In a fireside chat, Manju Jalali, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, GlobalFoundries and Komal Jain, VP & High Tech Industry Lead, Infosys discuss how an egalitarian work environment diversifies the talent pool.

Diversity and inclusion are very important for GlobalFoundries, says Ms Jalali. The company drives diversity organization-wide and creates an inclusive environment, across all levels. At the leadership level, she leads by example, and believes that when you encourage ideas to flourish, bring in new perspectives and views, you encourage innovation and creativity, which are a must for an IT organization to be relevant.

Infosys launched its ESG Vision 2030, in which diversity and inclusion are focus areas. These principles have always been an integral part of the company since it was founded, says Komal Jain. The company has people from diverse backgrounds working closely together. Women constitute a large part of the company’s talent pool, and are well-represented at the board level. Infosys believes that diversity translates into new ideas and thinking, leading to better solutions. On a personal level, Mr Jain supports institutions for the underprivileged to provide them opportunities to succeed.