A year ago, the idea of writing a DEIA playbook for MSME was hard to imagine. But as the DEIA Catalyst Program’s cohort members shared their lived experiences, wins and challenges in the MSME world, the pages practically wrote themselves!

Their stories of DEIA principles weaving itself from their day-to-day operational practices to reforming policies, creating more accessible and inclusive workplace, providing opportunities to people from diverse backgrounds, identities, and ethnicities: where a seed of a book was sowed that turned the dream of ‘Better Together’ a reality.

Building a workplace that’s diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible has been proven to be crucial than ever, making it an essential practice across organizations, regardless of industry, operation size, demographics and geographic location.

The DEIA principle in essence, is to drive holistic, equitable, morally justified, and ethically profitable business successes through true representation, innovation, and collaboration. Evidence is in the literature with real examples of DEIA represented in businesses without the fear of pushing business interests to the backseat.

If you have stopped to question yourself: Where do we start? How do we prioritise DEIA efforts with limited resources? We bring a key element to the MSMEs community in India to build a strong, structured framework that aligns with your business every step of the way.

Flip through the Success Stories section and you’ll meet artisans in Chhattisgarh, women coders in Jaipur, and biotech innovators in Pune—proof that inclusion drives innovation in every zip code.

This Guidebook shines light on:

Treat this Guidebook as:

Compliance—Your Foundation

A bedrock of effective DEIA strategy, compliance holds organizations accountable to uphold constitutional principles and fundamental rights of your workforce.

Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth and Article 16 ensures equal opportunities in matters of public employment.

Staying informed on the central laws and state-specific labour regulations—may come can help you navigate and fulfill legal obligations, social responsibilities, and build credibility within the business realm.

Creating Spaces to Overcome Barriers and Nurture Potential

Individuals have impairments but it is the environment that makes them disabled.

Recognizing the disparities of the real world and its impact on people can remove obstacles for people with different and special needs. Actively working towards breaking barriers at the workplace, fosters an environment that values collective empowerment and success.

‘Better Together’ is not just a guidebook but a living and evolving template and an example for MSMEs on the how-tos of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) principles that shares the invaluable learnings from 65 cohort members in the DEIA Catalyst Program.

This book is for anyone and everyone who wants to begin their DEIA journey, enhance existing initiatives, reform frameworks, enhance legal considerations, and strengthen ethical practices with actionable steps for creating authentic, inclusive, equitable workplaces.

The DEIA Catalyst Program has ignited transformative change, the hearts and minds of MSMEs, empowering engineers and artisans alike to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as a mindset and practice.

A progressive group of MSMEs from the first cohort is now ready to champion DEIA principles by fostering inclusive leadership and embedding DEIA KPIs in business strategy, structure, and key metrics for accountability and growth.

Credits for the Success of the Book, ‘Better Together’

Content Development and Research

Subject Matter Expert

Cover Design

Special Thanks

Neha Jacob; Venture Center, Priyanka Angappan; PeopleWiz Consulting LLP, Shyne Devasia Kochuveed; PeopleWiz Consulting LLP for their invaluable guidance and support. Their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving this guidebook.

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