Honoring Corporate Leaders in Disability Inclusion at the First-Ever DI-verse Certification Ceremony
The American India Foundation’s Ability Based Livelihood Empowerment (ABLE) program expands opportunities for persons with disabilities (PwDs) by strengthening their access to skills development, formal employment, and essential social protection systems.
At Purple Fest 2025—co-organized by the American India Foundation (AIF) and the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment—this vision came to life with the first-ever DI-verse Certification Felicitation Ceremony. Held at Amrit Udyan, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the historic event recognized pioneering corporate leaders driving disability inclusion across India.
The Fest brought together more than 23,500 participants, including PwDs, corporate leaders, policymakers, and civil society representatives, and was graced by Smt. Droupadi Murmu, Hon’ble President of India, along with Shri B.L. Verma, Minister of State, DEPwD.
The DI-verse Certification – India’s first and only disability inclusion certification for organizations, was conferred upon nine pioneering companies for their leadership in accessible and equitable workplaces: Infosys Limited, Wipro Limited, Compass India Food Services Pvt. Ltd., Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited, Godrej Properties Limited, Vindhya E-Infomedia Pvt. Ltd., The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited, and Randstad India Private Limited. Their efforts span inclusive hiring, workplace accessibility, and progressive policy reforms. With many more organizations now undergoing the certification process, DI-verse is steadily expanding its ecosystem of inclusive workplaces.
“Workplace inclusion is not an act of charity—it is an economic and social imperative. The DI-verse Certification creates an ecosystem where businesses recognize and leverage the immense contributions of Persons with Disabilities.” — Dr. Virendra Kumar, Hon’ble Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
In recognition of its leadership in disability inclusion, AIF received a Letter of Appreciation from the Hon’ble Minister, affirming its role at the forefront of India’s inclusion movement.
Launched in 2024 with the vision of Dr. Rajesh Agarwal, Secretary, DEPwD, DI-verse employs a rigorous three-tier certification model (A, AA, AAA) across six pillars—leadership commitment, workforce representation, workplace accessibility, supplier and customer inclusion, community engagement, and inclusive branding. This results-oriented framework offers companies a structured pathway to embed and sustain disability inclusion.
