Inspiring diversity, propelling equity, and defining inclusion at the LALIT

The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group is a name that embraces, encourages, and enriches the lives of all irrespective of their caste, creed, culture, sexual orientation, or physical traits, one that is welcoming to all. The aim is to create a workplace that is safe and secure by appreciating the value of diversity and staying committed to promoting inclusivity every day. The LaLiT engages in a number of efforts, including inclusive recruitment, appropriate accommodations, sensitisation training, and collaboration with other NGOs and not-for-profit organisations.

#PureLove welcomes everyone

Since 2016, the LaLiT has shown its support for LGBTQIA+ rights by ensuring that the group is acknowledged and represented in our policies. The #PureLove Campaign, aims to stop all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and establish an attitude of acceptance. It is to create a welcoming environment and celebrate love in all its forms. Having a specialised #PureLove Employee Resource Group (ERG) for the community members to voice their issues and utilise the shared resource pool is one of its initiatives and policies for LGBTQIA+ members, along with realising the life-saving significance of Gender Affirmation Procedures. The LaLiT has employed more than 200 people from this community, including 100+ transgender people, across the group in various functions.

Strengthening communities by skilling and hiring

The Lalit Group is an equal opportunity organisation and firmly committed to hiring from all spectrums basis their skill sets and attitude. Whether it’s LGBTQIA+ people or those with disabilities, the group puts more emphasis on their skills and abilities than their “limitations”. The group has created a dedicated Skill Enhancement Training Programme, an inclusive programme aimed at teaching the skills to a candidate without any prior experience of working at a hotel. This offers the members the possibility to gain the practical experience required to be hotelier. Through this program, the group has skilled over 1,000 persons and has employed over 200 across the group in various departments.

Project Prahari to upskill and hire acid attack warriors

The LaLiT also works with acid attack warriors to assist them in finding employment and developing employable skills as part of our specific project, Project Prahari. The group also provides reasonable accommodations for warriors, additional leaves of absence and placement in physically safer and cooler work locations, because of the many medical and surgical treatments that they must undergo. At present, the group has five acid attack warriors working in different departments at the hotel including flower room, laundry, kitchen stewarding, and spa .

Redefining inclusion of neurodivergent communities with ‘Apna Heera’

The LaLiT has a dedicated project ‘Apna Heera’ to work with people from neuro-divergent communities to mainstream them and involve them at workplace. Through this project, the team is attempting to create an ecosystem for people who have learning difficulties, autism, cerebral palsy, and ADHD so that they can thrive within the workplace as well as creating safe spaces for anyone to visit any of our outlets and clubs to celebrate. The group is engaging with communities via various NGOs and CBOs in order to make them feel welcome at the LaLiT. The group presently has 20 people with autism including a pianist at the LaLiT New Delhi on the spectrum and over 100 people with speech and hearing disabilities and learning disability including two pianists with visual impairment at the LaLiT Mumbai and the LaLiT Great Eastern Kolkata respectively.

The group believes that with all these initiatives, they’re not saving anybody; they’re only doing the right thing—building an empathetic organisation, for an empathetic country and an inclusive world. It is all about celebrating every individual every day.