{"id":67597,"date":"2026-05-13T17:02:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T11:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/the-lalit-suri-hospitality-group-leads-the-way-transforming-lives-through-inclusion\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:02:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T11:32:01","slug":"the-lalit-suri-hospitality-group-leads-the-way-transforming-lives-through-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/the-lalit-suri-hospitality-group-leads-the-way-transforming-lives-through-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group Leads the Way: Transforming Lives Through Inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Delhi [India], May 13:<\/strong> The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group, one of India\u2019s leading hospitality brands, continues to set new benchmarks in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) through a comprehensive ecosystem of initiatives designed to create meaningful and lasting social impact. With\u00a0over 1 million lives touched and 300,000+ individuals directly supported, the Group has emerged as a pioneer in intersectional inclusion across hospitality, education, employment, healthcare, and community development.<\/p>\n

At the heart of\u00a0The LaLiT\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>approach lies a clear pathway of transformation –\u00a0Dignity, Skilling, Employment, Economic Independence, and Leadership<\/strong>\u00a0– ensuring that individuals from marginalized communities are not only included, but empowered to build sustainable livelihoods and become changemakers.<\/p>\n

Driving economic empowerment at scale, the Group has facilitated\u00a013 LGBTQIA+ job fairs<\/strong>, reaching over\u00a010,000 job seekers<\/strong>\u00a0and enabling\u00a01,500+ direct placements<\/strong>. Today, The LaLiT is India\u2019s largest employer of transgender persons in the private sector, with over\u00a0250 individuals<\/strong>\u00a0employed across roles. In addition,\u00a0500+ persons with disabilities<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a050+ acid attack survivors<\/strong>\u00a0have been supported through focused initiatives such as\u00a0Apna Heera<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Project Prahari<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Complementing employment efforts is a strong skilling ecosystem led by initiatives such as\u00a0PrideKraft, through which\u00a03,000+ LGBTQIA+ individuals\u00a0have been trained. Leadership development programs like\u00a0Emerging Queer Leaders in Hospitality, which has trained over\u00a070 young individuals\u00a0and creative workshops conducted in collaboration with the Keshav Suri Foundation, where\u00a0350+ individuals have been trained and over 200 placed,\u00a0have further strengthened career pathways. Destination-based skilling initiatives across Khajuraho, Bekal, Mangar, and Goa continue to create local employment linked to tourism.<\/p>\n

The Group\u2019s commitment to building future talent is reflected in its education initiatives, with\u00a075+ scholarships awarded<\/strong>\u00a0to young individuals pursuing higher education. These include the\u00a0Aditya Nanda Scholarship<\/strong>\u00a0for LGBTQIA+ youth and the\u00a0Apna Heera Scholarship<\/strong>\u00a0for persons with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals. Strategic partnerships with institutions such as The Lalit Suri Hospitality School, Indian School of Hospitality, and Lovely Professional University further strengthen inclusive career pipelines.<\/p>\n

Beyond livelihoods, The LaLiT actively supports community well-being through food security initiatives, including collaborations with the Robin Hood Army, regular meal distribution at Missionaries of Charity homes, and\u00a0free meals for transgender individuals through Annapoorna kitchens since 2022<\/strong>. The Group also supports vulnerable communities through food distribution drives at hospitals and shelters, along with infrastructure support such as water and air coolers in collaboration with partner organizations.<\/p>\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The LaLiT was among the first hotel chains to repurpose its hospitality infrastructure to house doctors and frontline workers, while also distributing PPE kits and essential supplies, facilitating vaccination drives and delivering doorstep meals to elderly and vulnerable individuals.<\/p>\n

In the realm of healthcare and mental health inclusion, the Group has supported\u00a050,000+ queer individuals<\/strong>, facilitated\u00a05,000+ counselling sessions,<\/strong>\u00a0and driven nationwide impact across\u00a020+ cities. The initiative has also led to the sensitization of\u00a0750+ doctors, the training of psychologists in Indian Sign Language, and direct support to\u00a0200+ individuals under the Inclusive Care+ program<\/strong>, helping bridge critical gaps in accessible and affirming healthcare.<\/p>\n

Recognized as one of India\u2019s most accessible hotel chains,\u00a0The LaLiT<\/strong><\/a> has\u00a0received\u00a0four National Awards for accessibility, along with a Hall of Fame recognition,\u00a0<\/strong>and continues to lead disability inclusion with over\u00a0500 persons with disabilities trained and employed<\/strong>\u00a0across diverse roles. Its partnership with Special Olympics Bharat further strengthens pathways for skilling and employment.<\/p>\n

A strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, Keshav Suri, Executive Director<\/strong>, played a key role in the landmark Section 377 case, contributing to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India. The Group has also created dignified earning platforms for over 500 transgender performers at Kitty Su<\/strong>, while continuing to drive systemic change through policy advocacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt The LaLiT, inclusion is not a policy – it is a deeply held belief that shapes how we operate, grow, and engage with communities. Our vision has always been to move beyond representation and create real pathways for dignity, livelihood, and leadership. When individuals are empowered with opportunity and respect, they don\u2019t just transform their own lives – they help build a more equitable and inclusive society,\u201d <\/em>said Keshav Suri, Executive Director, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LaLiT\u2019s efforts have earned global recognition, including being the only Indian brand featured among the Top 10 companies for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the India Workplace Equality Index for four consecutive years<\/strong>, along with accreditation by the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association. With over 50% women in leadership roles<\/strong>, the Group has also been recognized at the FICCI Women in Leadership Awards and honoured as a DEI Champion <\/strong>at<\/strong> FICCI DE&I Conclave and Awards 2026.<\/p>\n

Through initiatives spanning environment, arts, sports, and philanthropy\u2014including\u00a0Pride Fund India<\/strong>, which supports\u00a018 organizations across 12 states and has impacted over 10,000 lives<\/strong>– The LaLiT continues to build an inclusive ecosystem where dignity, opportunity, and empowerment drive long-term societal change.<\/p>\n

About The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group is one of India\u2019s leading luxury hospitality brands, known for its distinctive properties, exceptional service, and commitment to inclusivity and sustainability. With a presence across key destinations, the Group continues to redefine hospitality through purpose-driven initiatives and meaningful experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi [India], May 13: The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group, one of India\u2019s leading hospitality brands, continues to set new benchmarks in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) through a comprehensive ecosystem of initiatives designed to create meaningful and lasting social impact. With\u00a0over 1 million lives touched and 300,000+ individuals directly supported, the Group has emerged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67596,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sb_editor_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-press-release"],"relative_dates":{"created":"3 weeks ago","modified":"3 weeks ago"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deccanexpress.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}