Report of National Conference Paper Presentation
Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) sponsored
2-Day National Conference
Integrating Equity & Diversity in Business
for a Sustainable Future (IEDBSF - 2025)
Organised by
Faculty of Management Studies, CMS Business School
JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
18th & 19th June 2025
Title of the Paper/Presentation: “Embedding DEI: A Case of Lemon Tree Hotels”
- Event Name: National Student Research Symposium on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
- Organized by: CMS jain university
- Date: June 21st, 2025
- Venue:CMS jain college of management– 4th Floor
- Team Members:
- Brinda K.
- Preetham
- Maunika
- Faculty Coordinator: Prof. Padmaja
- Type of Submission: Research-Based Case Study Presentation
Presentation Overview
We presented our research paper “Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion: Lemon Tree Hotels' DEI Journey”, which explored how Lemon Tree Hotels has integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into its business strategy.
The presentation covered:
- Introduction & Background of Lemon Tree Hotels (LTH) and its commitment to Opportunity Deprived Indians (ODIs)
- Problem Statement & Literature Gap in DEI practices in hospitality
- Seven Pillar Inclusion Model and its practical implementation
- Impact Analysis on employees, customers, and business outcomes
- Challenges & Opportunities in scaling DEI efforts
- Best Practices & Recommendations for hospitality and other sectors
As a team, we critically examined Lemon Tree Hotels' unique approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by:
- Exploring their “reverse inclusion” model, hiring Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) not out of charity but as a core business practice.
- Mapping their DEI strategy with HR practices, productivity metrics, and long-term impact on brand and culture.
- Presenting visual data, real company examples, and analysis rooted in academic frameworks.
- Highlighting how DEI can be embedded into business strategy, not just treated as an add-on initiative.
Feedback Received
- Positive Aspects Highlighted:
- Clear structure and logical flow of the presentation
- Strong connection between theory and real-world application
- Use of real statistics to demonstrate impact
- Confident delivery and teamwork
- Suggestions for Improvement:
- Include more visual representation (charts/infographics)
- Add a short video/testimonial for emotional connection
- Briefly compare with global hospitality DEI practices for broader context
Key Team Learnings
- Understood inclusive hiring as a strategic HR function, especially in hospitality.
- Practiced collaborative research, data interpretation, and presentation skills.
- Developed confidence in public speaking, audience engagement, and academic critique.
- Strengthened the ability to work as a team under deadlines while balancing individual contributions.
Acknowledgement:
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Padmaja, our faculty guide, for her unwavering support, critical insights, and constant encouragement. Her mentorship played a key role in shaping this research into a well-received presentation.
