Decoding DEIB Metrics: What Indian Companies Should Track

The Illusion of Progress 

Picture this: a townhall in Bengaluru. The CEO flashes a slide that says “We are 42% diverse.” Applause breaks out, the HR head smiles, and the board ticks a box. Yet, in the cafeteria the next morning, women employees whisper about the “boys’ club” project allocations, a mid-level manager admits he doesn’t know what “psychological safety” means, and LGBTQ+ staff still hesitate to be out at work.

This is the paradox of DEIB in India. Numbers look impressive, but the lived experience often doesn’t match. Unlike revenue or productivity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are not metrics that can be neatly captured in percentages alone. They demand nuance, context, and truth-telling.

And here’s the catch: what gets measured gets managed. But if Indian firms are measuring the wrong things — or worse, measuring to impress instead of improve — DEIB becomes just another line item in the annual report.

So, what should Indian companies really track to decode the health of their DEIB agenda? 

The Global Benchmark, The Indian Blind Spot 

Globally, companies have been evolving their DEIB metrics. In the US, board diversity disclosures, pay-gap audits, and employee belonging surveys are now standard. European firms are experimenting with inclusion heatmaps that identify micro-barriers at team levels. 

In India, however, the conversation often stalls at diversity hiring numbers. Women in workforce: tick. Representation of Persons with Disabilities: tick. But ask about inclusion indicators or equity benchmarks, and silence follows. Belonging — the final “B” — is rarely even on the radar.

This obsession with representation alone is a blind spot. Representation without inclusion is tokenism; equity without belonging is bureaucracy. Indian companies need a more layered measurement system.

Key DEIB Metrics Indian Firms Should Measure 

1. Diversity Beyond Gender 

   1. Track representation not only of women but also LGBTQ+ employees, persons with disabilities, generational diversity (Gen Z to baby boomers), and regional diversity. 

   2. Metric to watch: % representation across identity groups by level and function, not just overall headcount. 

2. Equity Benchmarks: Fairness in Growth 

   1. Representation is meaningless if promotions, pay hikes, and high-visibility projects remain skewed. 

   2. Metric to watch: promotion ratios, pay equity audits, allocation of critical projects across demographic groups. 

3. Inclusion Indicators: Lived Experience 

   1. Do employees feel respected? Heard? Safe? 

   2. Metric to watch: inclusion index from pulse surveys, retention rates of underrepresented groups, participation in decision-making forums. 

4. Belonging: The Invisible Glue 

   1. Belonging isn’t about headcount; it’s about heartbeat. 

   2. Metric to watch: employee voice in anonymous feedback, self-disclosure rates for LGBTQ+ identity (a proxy for psychological safety), voluntary participation in ERGs. 

5. Leadership Accountability 

   1. DEIB cannot be an HR side-project. Leaders must be measured too. 

   2. Metric to watch: % of leaders with DEIB goals tied to performance appraisals, number of inclusive leadership workshops completed. 

The Indian Reset Blueprint 

To shift from optics to impact, Indian companies must reimagine DEIB tracking: 

• Stop chasing headline numbers. A gender ratio on its own says nothing about equity of opportunity. 

• Blend quantitative with qualitative. Survey scores + employee stories = the real picture. 

• Localize, don’t copy-paste. India’s diversity is layered — caste, regional language, urban vs. rural backgrounds. Metrics must reflect this complexity, not just borrow Western templates. 

• Tie DEIB to business KPIs. Attrition, innovation, customer trust — all are influenced by inclusive cultures. Make leaders see DEIB not as charity, but as strategy. 

The Future of DEIB Metrics in India 

The next decade will separate companies that report diversity from those that live inclusion. The former will keep celebrating vanity numbers. The latter will build systems where employees don’t just fit in — they thrive.

In a market like India, with its billion-strong workforce and deep social divides, tracking the right DEIB metrics isn’t just progressive. It’s competitive advantage. 

The question isn’t whether Indian companies will measure DEIB. It’s whether they’ll measure what matters.