The 2024 Best of the Best (BOB) Conference, held on November 12th and 13th in Chennai, embodied its theme, #PrismofDiversity, by celebrating the convergence of diverse human identities, perspectives, and experiences. This flagship event, organized by Avtar and Seramount, brought together thought leaders, industry experts, and change-makers to explore transformative practices in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Day one commenced with an inaugural address by Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President of Avtar Group, who emphasized the transformative power of viewing the world through the “prism of diversity.” The day unfolded with BOB Exclusives, showcasing innovative DEI practices from leading organizations in gender equity, generational diversity, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Breakout sessions delved into specific topics, including women in leadership, mental health and well-being, inclusive allyship, and neurodiversity.
Notable speakers like Preeti Jain from IBM, Jyoti Singh from Hero MotoCorp, and Sarada Srinivas from Barclays shared actionable insights through case studies and interactive discussions. The highlight of the evening was the Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in India Awards, as part of the 9th annual gender analytics exercise, recognizing organizations championing gender parity and inclusion, and a keynote by Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India & South Asia who was in conversation with Dr Saundarya. The Top 10 Companies were also feted for their remarkable achievement.
Day two began with an inspiring opening by Subha Barry, President of Seramount, followed by a panel discussion, From Aspiration to Action, featuring leaders such as Amber Pate, CHRO of Kinaxis, and Usha Subramaniam, Country President of Grundfos India. The day featured the presentation of the Emerging Icons- 2024 Best Companies for Women in India, honoring MSMEs making significant strides in DEI, and the Male Ally Legacy and Social Excellence awards. An Open Space Technology Workshop encouraged participants to explore future-focused strategies for inclusion.
The conference concluded with a celebratory recognition of organizations featured in the Most Inclusive Companies Index, honoring Champions and Exemplars in the 2024 Most Inclusive Companies Index. Reflections by Dr. Saundarya and Subha Barry reiterated the need to harness the richness of diverse perspectives to drive innovation, creativity, and employee engagement.
A fashion show exemplifying diversity and inclusion featuring people from across strands, and a classical dance performance by Puthri scholars—girl students from underprivileged sections of society were among the many high points of the two-day conference—who are part of the initiative by Avtar Human Capital Trust to create career intentional girls from a young age. Guinness Record holder and saxophonist, MS Subbalaxmi, regaled the audience with her instrumental rendition of various numbers across languages.
The 2024 Best of the Best Conference exemplified how organizations can leverage DEI as a strategic imperative to foster inclusive work cultures, paving the way for a more equitable and innovative future.
