Delhi is set to host the second edition of RISE (Re imagining Inclusion for Social Equity), after the Bengaluru edition.

Delhi is set to host the second edition of RISE, after the Bengaluru edition. The event is yet to happen on February 22 at hotel The Lalit. RISE is the flagship event organized by the Pride Circle, India’s diversity and inclusion consulting, that enables organizations to foster inclusion with its expertise and solutions. It will be a day-long congregation of over 1000 change makers, businesses, organizations, candidates, students, human resource professionals, advocates, and experts. The event will witness over 400 job seekers and 30 inclusive brands.

At RISE (Re imagining Inclusion for Social Equity), there will be a Conference, Job Fair and a Marketplace, making it a unique proposition for change makers and job seekers. The job fair will connect the LGBTI talent pool with inclusive organizations. Companies such as Uber, Accenture, BNY Mellon, The Lalit, Kronokare, Unhotel, among others will be coming to hire. FICCI joins in as the industry Partner for RISE. Interested candidates may register themselves by submitting their resume. LGBTI candidates may also walk-in to explore job opportunities.

The LGBTI and ally leaders from around the world will be interacting with the attendees through various sessions on topics of Business Leaders driving inclusion, workplace policies and benefits, discrimination at workplace, transition support, parenting, among other. There will be research report launches along with movie screening, masterclass, breakouts and films.

A marketplace will also be set-up to feature products and services from micro, small and medium-sized LGBTI owned businesses from across India. Over 20 LGBTI owned business will be participating to showcase innovative products and services such as bakery, merchandise, travel and tourism at this consortium.

Pride Circle held Asia’s first LGBTI conference, job fair and marketplace in Bengaluru in July last year. Creating a space for the interaction between corporations and the LGBT talent pool, the fair resulted in 43 job placements with annual aggregate CTC of Rs 3.9 crores ($ 550,000). The seekers were offered white as well as blue collar jobs spread across IT sector, hospitality, banking, finance, and housekeeping among others.

Srini Ramaswamy, Co-founder, Pride Circle, says, “Through RISE, we are promoting the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in the workforce. The first edition of RISE in Bangalore bore fruitful results and we aim higher placements in the Delhi edition. Through different formats of dialogue between the job seekers and the employers, we aim to shed the fears developed due to the sexual orientation of the talent pool in workplace environments.”

“We have been working with the LGBTI community; multinational companies (MNCs); Indian corporations, experts, policymakers from across the country to make inclusive livelihood opportunities a reality. With consistent support from the community and our partners, we hope to collectively make a tangible impact, and to positively impact lives”, said the Co-founder of Pride Circle, Ramkrishna Sinha.

India's LGBTI community has faced a long battle for legal rights. It has been more than a year since the Supreme Court abolished the draconian colonial-era law, which criminalized homosexual behaviors. However, the stigma and discrimination against the LGBTI community is still rampant in all the societal and organizational settings.

The event is designed to provide safe space for the job seekers where they will be judged and selected based on their talent and not rejected for their sexual orientation. The fair is expected to provide an enriching experience to the community members and help them understand what kind of skills can land them in a good job opportunity. It will also sensitize and encourage LGBTI inclusion in the work spaces of the hiring organizations.