Industry must promote gender and caste diversity in leadership: Vice President

NEW DELHI,  Jul 10: India Inc must now expand its global presence, not just in markets, but in ideas, standards, and solutions, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Thursday, calling upon the industry to be a force for inclusion by supporting MSMEs and promoting gender and caste diversity in leadership.

Addressing the 19th Edition of the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards, Dhankhar called for building “Brand India” on four pillars — quality, trust, innovation, and ancient wisdom reimagined for modern relevance — while exhorting the private sector to go for greenfield projects.

“Industry, friends, must be a force for inclusion by supporting MSMEs, promoting gender and caste diversity in leadership. It’s easier said than done. Gender and caste diversity has to be appreciated in the right sense.

“When it comes to gender, we champion affirmative action but the real problem is when gender discrimination is subtle, when gender discrimination cannot be imparted in words by the normal desire to dominate,” the vice president said.

He underlined that the private sector must embrace its role not just as an economic actor but as a co-architect of India’s future.

“We are not mercenaries, we don’t stand for exploitation. We believe in the positive unleashing of our energy to realise our dreams for the benefit of society at large. A truly developed nation is one where opportunity is not the privilege of the few but the right of all,” Dhankhar said.

The vice president observed that two things disturb him very greatly.

“One, our real general voice, dialogue, discourse, deliberation, debate, convergence of views, constitutional approach. All these were defined by the constituent assembly that did not have a single disruption or a single disturbance incident, and now, when these temples of democracy, on occasions, get sacrileged, we are bound to be deeply concerned, because the common man suffers,” Dhankhar said.

He sounded a word of caution, asserting that let us not be carried away by narratives set and fraught form outside the country.

“Let us not allow others to calibrate us. Let us firmly root ourselves to commitment for this nation and keep this nation always first and the greatest tribute we can reflect for our nation is a testament that we believe in sustainable development,” Dhankhar said.

He said there was a time when the health and education sectors were means to give back to the society by businesses. However, now there is a trend that health and education are turning out to be lucrative businesses.

The vice president observed that Bharat, for millennia, has been home to inclusivity in every sense. It’s sublimity and it’s contributions for a harmonious society.

As a matter of fact, it is surprising on occasions that some on the planet try to impart lessons to Bharat about inclusivity, said the vice president.

Underlining the sustainable development credentials of Bharat, Dhankhar said the global 2030 agenda for sustainable development cannot succeed on the planet without India’s participation, without India’s contribution, without India’s proactive affirmative stance.

He observed that fortunately, with the vision of its leadership, India has embraced this responsibility both with clarity and conviction.

“Let Indian industry become the torchbearer of this green revolution. Let us invest in renewable energy, green hydrogen, circular economy models, and carbon markets. Let us not treat sustainability as a compliance, but as a source of competitive advantage. The moment we take it in the compliance groove; the battle is lost,” Dhankhar said.

Highlighting the role of the private sector in taking the nation forward, he  emphasised, “Government’s role is only of an enabler. Heavy obligations are on the corporate world… The government alone cannot, if I may say so, score the penalty goal … The private sector has a vital role to play because at the end of the day it is industry that drives innovation, creates livelihoods and builds the architecture of national development”.

He emphasised that the Government of India has moved beyond a government-centric approach to a whole-of-society framework.

“Sub-national and local governments, civil society, private sector players and communities, all are vital cogs in this engine of progress. But friends, this engine has to fire on all cylinders if we have to achieve tangible success,” he further added.

Referring to the Indian economy’s potential, he stated, “India is not merely aspiring to become a five trillion-dollar economy… India is on the right path of becoming a trusted economy, a reliable partner in the global value chain, a stable anchor in a volatile world. The world at the moment is in turmoil and turbulence. Global configurations show no signs of abating. Supply chain disruption is taking place. In this disturbed scenario, Bharat is a prominent voice.”

Encouraging the industry to focus on research and development, Dhankhar stated, “Industry must take the lead in research and development, invest in indigenous design. I would reflect for a moment on this, this is an area where there needs to be more attention, greater convergence of corporate world… Research has to correlate to making change on the ground”.

Drawing attention to the skill requirements of youth and India’s demographic dividend, he stated that the government is doing its bit by a number of innovative steps but major part has to be done for effective transformation by the industry.

The vice president cited the Economic Survey of 2024-25 and said the country’s industrial sector is projected to grow by 6.2 per cent propelled by robust construction and energy sectors. “Our growth is the result of sustained reforms, infrastructure investment and strategic digitization,” he said.

Emphasising on the role of corporates in overall development, he said the government’s role is only of an enabler. Heavy obligations are on the corporate world.

“…government is doing its bit, whether it is the national single window system for clearances, the gati Shakti infrastructure plan, the focus on logistics and digital connectivity. The aim is to reduce friction and enhance productivity,” he said, adding, “the government alone cannot score the penalty goal and corner kicks that result in goals”.

“The private sector has a vital role to play, because, at end of the day, it is industry that drives innovation, creates livelihoods and builds the architecture of national development. The private sector, therefore, I urge must embrace its role, not just as an economic actor, but as a co-architect of India’s future. It is a vital factor,” Dhankhar said. (PTI)

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