Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN), a public charitable trust, and Retailers Association of India (RAI), the unified voice of Indian retailers, have signed an agreement to help make retail a more inclusive industry.
As a part of the partnership, both prestigious organisations will work together to implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies with retailers registered with the RAI.
They will also collaborate on the identification and mapping of job roles at different levels within the industry, appropriate to the type of disability.
The agreement signed during the Retail Leadership Summit 2022, RAI’s flagship event, with pledges and support of CEOs and CHROs from retailers such as Nexus Malls, Inorbit Malls, Vishal Mega Mart and Reliance Retail, the partnership aims to make a difference in the industry by fostering diversity and inclusion and making retail a more attractive employer to all factions of the society.
BS Nagesh, Founder, TRRAIN said, “Diversity and Inclusion have become important conversations today. As thought leaders and catalysts, we want to enable retail organisations in their diversity and inclusion journey, particularly with regard to employing Persons with Disabilities (PwD). Since 80 per cent of retail jobs are customer-facing, employing PwDs will lead to creating awareness and sensitisation at a large level. And, since retail has low entry barriers with minimum qualification being 10th grade, there is a huge talent pool to explore and impact.”
Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, RAI said, “India has one store for every 100 citizens making retail one of the top employers employing about 4.5 crore people. The industry is significant not only because of its contribution to the country’s GDP and commerce, but also because it employs people with various abilities and backgrounds. Study after study demonstrates how crucial diversity and inclusion practices are to a company’s success. Thanks to TRRAIN, many RAI member retailers have already embarked on a path of hiring persons with disabilities. Considering the recent state of retail, it’s time to shift gears and take the industry’s Diversity and Inclusivity Quotient to the next level.”
