AN LGBTI job fair, billed by organisers as the first such event in India, attracted more than 250 people on Friday (12) looking for employment with companies including Intel, Goldman Sachs and Uber.
The event in the southern city of Bengaluru comes after India's top court, Supreme Court overruled a law banning homosexuality in 2018, which the organisers said now enables companies to freely hire people who have been marginalised for years.
Many Indians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) still face stigma and violence.
But the 2018 ruling has helped some in the LGBTI community come out and it now forces companies to be more inclusive, said Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder of Bengaluru-based consultancy Pride Circle, which organised the job fair.
"Now these companies are not going to give an excuse that it is against the law," Ramaswamy said. "If you're not being inclusive, it indirectly means you're being homophobic."
Western companies including Goldman Sachs, PayPal, Lowe's, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Accenture and American Express took part in the event, with more than 250 jobs on offer.
A total of 350 candidates had registered for the event which offered roles ranging from experienced positions to entry-level and support-staff, Ramaswamy said.
Software engineer Arun Gnanavignesh said he had felt ostracized by fellow workers when they learned he was gay.
"Colleagues who were really close to me suddenly stopped calling me for movies or to their homes ... I was really hurt," said Gnanavignesh, 22, who has since resigned from that job.
The turnout at the fair was relatively thin, partly because many still fear stigma and several of those people who spoke with asked not to be identified.
Typically, job fairs in India attract thousands even when only a few hundred jobs are on offer and the government has faced criticism for its failure to create enough job opportunities for the millions annually entering the workforce.
The government's national jobs portal currently lists more than 10.2 million active job seekers for some 386,000 vacancies.
Uber, which had a booth and was looking to recruit people at the job fair, changed all its route maps in Bengaluru to rainbow colours on Friday in a show of support.
"We are committed to creating an environment that works for everyone," Vishpala Reddy, Uber's regional human resources director, said in an email.
"We also want dignity. Am I not qualified enough to work in an office? Of course, I am," Mala Bai, 27, a transgender law student, who applied for jobs at JP Morgan and Accenture, said.
Veterinary practices ordered to publish price lists and disclose corporate ownership under new CMA proposals.
Pet healthcare costs have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation, investigation finds.
CVS Group shares surge 18 per cent as market welcomes lack of direct price controls on medicines.
Watchdog pushes for price transparency
Britain’s competition watchdog has provisionally ordered veterinary practices to publish price lists and disclose corporate ownership, aiming to give pet owners greater transparency in a sector where costs have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday (15) that pet owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for treatments that can run into thousands of pounds.
Under the proposed measures, vet businesses must publish prices for common procedures and make clear which practices are independent and which belong to large corporate chains. The watchdog also plans to cap prescription fees and ban bonuses linked to specific treatments.
“We believe that the measures we are proposing would be beneficial to the sector as a whole, including vets and vet nurses,” the CMA stated in its provisional decision report. “Providing better information for pet owners will increase their confidence in vet businesses and the profession.”
Industry reactions
The announcement triggered immediate market reactions. Bloomberg reported Shares of CVS Group, a British veterinary services provider, rose as much as 18 per cent in early London trading before paring gains, whilst Pets at Home traded up to 4.9 per cent higher. Both companies had underperformed since the CMA launched its investigation.
“While the tone of the CMA’s report is sharp, we see few surprises versus our expectations,” said Jefferies analyst Andrew Wade to Bloomberg. “The lack of pricing controls on services notably medicines must be viewed as a positive.”
The veterinary profession offered cautious support for the reforms. Dr Rob Williams, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: “At first glance, there’s lots of positives in the CMA’s provisional decision that both vets and pet owners will welcome, including greater transparency of pricing and practice ownership."
However, animal welfare charities warned of the consequences when pet owners delay treatment due to cost concerns. Caroline Allen, the RSPCA’s Chief Veterinary Officer, told BBC “Our frontline officers sadly see first-hand the consequences when people delay or avoid seeking professional help, or even attempt to treat conditions themselves."
The proposed remedies package also includes requirements for vet businesses to improve complaint processes and conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys comparing large groups with independent practices. Additionally, practices would find it easier to terminate out-of-hours contracts with third-party providers if better alternatives exist.
The CMA emphasised that vet businesses failing to comply, or those pressuring veterinarians to act in certain ways or sell specific treatments, could be in breach of the Order.
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