Smart tech, smarter inclusion: CHRO shares how FNP is reimagining DEI

DEI has evolved into a critical component of business strategy, intertwining moral responsibility with operational success. As companies strive to remain relevant and competitive in a world shaped by multifaceted consumer identities, inclusive workplace cultures have proven to be central to innovation, agility, and growth. At the heart of this transformation lies a confluence of human intent and technological capability.

One organisation that’s leading this shift in India’s retail and gifting sector is FNP. As the country’s largest gifting platform, FNP has not only embraced diversity as a business necessity but is actively leveraging technology to embed inclusive practices across its talent lifecycle. In an exclusive conversation, Gautam Saraf, CHRO at FNP, shares how the company operationalises DEI beyond policy and poster walls—embedding it into every function, decision, and layer of leadership.

“Diversity isn’t a feel-good initiative. It’s a business imperative,” says Saraf. “In a world shaped by shifting consumer identities and cultural nuance, sameness is a risk.”

This belief isn’t just philosophical; it’s strategic. With a growing consumer base that spans across geographies, cultures, gender identities, age groups, and linguistic preferences, FNP understands that reflecting this diversity within its workforce directly impacts product innovation, marketing resonance, and customer experience.

“As one of the largest gifting brands in India, D&I also plays an important role in representing our customer base, meeting their expectations and delighting them at all times,” Saraf adds.

Embedding inclusion into the business strategy

At FNP, DEI is not a CSR sidebar or a tick-box HR initiative. It is integrated into the business model, beginning with talent acquisition and flowing into leadership reviews, innovation design, and performance management.

“We bake inclusion into every layer of the business,” Saraf explains. “From hiring slates that reflect India’s diversity, to leadership reviews where team composition and inclusion goals are tracked, to performance metrics that reward collaborative, bias-free decision-making.”

This integration is crucial. According to McKinsey’s 2023 report Diversity Matters Even More, companies in the top quartile for ethnic and gender diversity in executive teams are 39% more likely to financially outperform their peers. DEI isn’t just about optics—it’s about outcomes.

Product innovation through the lens of DEI

FNP operates in a category where emotional connection is everything. Gifts are chosen not just for aesthetics or price, but for what they symbolise—empathy, love, celebration, solidarity.

This is where diversity becomes a competitive advantage.

“Even our product innovation is influenced by this lens. Because understanding people deeply is what makes our brand resonate widely,” says Saraf.

Whether it’s customising Diwali gifts for diverse regional traditions or tailoring campaigns around same-sex love during Pride Month, FNP builds cultural intelligence into its brand DNA. Diverse teams bring a nuanced understanding of what matters to customers, ensuring that gifting is personal, not prescriptive.

Training inclusive leaders at scale

One of the pillars of FNP’s DEI success lies in developing inclusive leadership capabilities. “At FNP, we see managers not just as people leaders, but as culture-shapers,” says Saraf.

This starts with cultivating awareness—helping leaders understand unconscious bias, systemic privilege, and the need for empathetic communication. Then it moves into action, with structured learning programmes, real-world case discussions, and practical tools to support inclusive decisions in the flow of work.

“The objective is simple: build a leadership culture where inclusion isn’t an HR agenda but a leadership responsibility,” he says.

Globally, the World Economic Forum has identified inclusive leadership as one of the most important future skills for managers, particularly in hybrid workplaces. FNP’s early investment in this space sets it apart in India’s retail sector.

Tech as a DEI accelerator, not a replacement

Technology’s role in DEI is both powerful and nuanced. While algorithms can enhance consistency and remove bias from repetitive processes, they cannot replace the empathy and judgment required for true inclusion.

“Technology helps us bring consistency to what often gets clouded by subjectivity,” explains Saraf. “At FNP, we use AI to reduce bias in sourcing, flag exclusionary language in job descriptions, and surface diverse candidate pools we might have otherwise missed.”

For instance, by using AI tools like Textio, FNP can identify and remove subtly biased language in job descriptions—language that might unintentionally deter women, older candidates, or LGBTQIA+ applicants. Similarly, AI-powered platforms such as Entelo and SeekOut help hiring teams surface diverse profiles, ensuring that every shortlist includes a range of voices.

“But we’re clear that AI is an enabler, not a proxy for human judgment,” Saraf clarifies. “Inclusion requires context, curiosity, and courage—qualities no algorithm can replicate.”

This conscious coupling of human empathy with machine precision is increasingly becoming the gold standard in inclusive hiring practices.

Impact: Better collaboration, innovation, and speed

The real proof of DEI lies in the performance of cross-functional teams. At FNP, the value of inclusive teams has shown up in the form of faster problem-solving, richer ideation, and more resonant campaigns.

“Diversity expands the solution space. Inclusion ensures every voice gets airtime within it,” Saraf says. “Whether it’s product innovation shaped by regional insights, or campaign ideas sparked by lived experiences, our best work has come from teams that don’t think alike, but think together.”

Studies back this up. According to Boston Consulting Group, companies with above-average diversity on their management teams report innovation revenue that is 19% higher than companies with below-average diversity.

The Indian DEI landscape: Context matters

While DEI as a concept has gained momentum globally, the Indian context presents both unique opportunities and challenges. The socio-economic diversity across tier-1, tier-2, and tier-3 cities means that inclusion efforts must be localised, not templated.

“India’s workforce is as diverse as its festivals,” says Saraf. “From language to gender identity to neurodiversity—one-size-fits-all approaches don’t work here.”

FNP addresses this by anchoring its DEI strategies in regional realities. For instance, hiring in smaller cities includes outreach to second-career women, persons with disabilities, and individuals from non-English speaking backgrounds. Managers are trained to lead with empathy across linguistic and socio-cultural differences.

Recent data from foundit Insights Tracker shows that diversity hiring in India has surged by over 33% in just the past year, with companies making conscious efforts to reflect societal heterogeneity. However, implementation still varies widely across industries, with retail and customer experience sectors lagging behind tech and BFSI in structured DEI programmes.

FNP’s efforts in this space make it a rare outlier in the retail landscape—prioritising purpose over compliance.

As hybrid work becomes the norm, inclusion strategies must adapt. Remote work offers flexibility but also risks isolating certain groups—particularly caregivers, early-career professionals, and neurodivergent employees.

At FNP, this has led to the adoption of digital listening tools, employee feedback loops, and flexible policies that allow for asynchronous work when needed. The company also conducts regular pulse surveys to track inclusion sentiment across remote and in-office teams.

These efforts align with the global trend of “inclusive flexibility”—where flexibility is not just about location or hours, but about designing work experiences that consider the needs of diverse employee cohorts.

From representation to redistribution of power

Despite progress, Saraf believes the DEI conversation needs a deeper shift.

“If I could change one thing, I’d shift inclusion from being permission-based to being power-based,” he says. “Too often, inclusion is framed as an invitation, a seat at the table granted by someone else. True inclusion happens when power is shared, decisions are co-owned, and influence is decentralised.”

This is a powerful reframe—moving from symbolic inclusion to systemic equity. It requires more than hiring diverse talent; it demands that organisations reimagine their governance, decision-making models, and reward systems.

FNP’s DEI strategy is a masterclass in how intent, when backed by innovation, can reshape workplaces. By integrating technology without losing the human touch, and by weaving inclusion into the fabric of daily operations, the brand demonstrates what the future of work can and should look like.

“Inclusion isn’t a value we write on walls; it’s a filter we apply to our daily choices,” Saraf reminds us.

As more organisations in India and beyond grapple with how to build belonging at scale, FNP’s approach offers a blueprint—one where empathy, equity, and innovation walk hand in hand.