[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Smita Shetty is sensitising company leaders to become inclusive

Smita Shetty attributes her passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to a unique blend of personal experiences, family values, and professional challenges. She grew up in a traditional, conservative family, the eldest of four siblings—three girls and one boy. 

From a young age, Shetty's mother taught her children the value of self-reliance, emphasising that even as girls, they must be earners, not dependents.

Shetty followed her early fascination for accounting and finance with a degree in B.Com and joined a finance company. However, it was the HR department of that company that piqued her curiosity. 

“I realised that I have a passion for people, what they do and how they do it. I was excited to see how some element of empathy could really change the working environment in an organisation,” says Shetty.

Launch of Kelp

In October 2013, Shetty started Kelp HR with an interest in creating employee-friendly workplaces in the ever-evolving corporate landscape. She particularly wanted to address gender equity and the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, which remains a pressing concern to this date. 

For Shetty, the challenge has lied not only in establishing protocols but also in overcoming the cultural and organisational barriers that hinder genuine progress. 

“Change has to come from the top,” she says, reflecting on her experiences working with companies that often approach diversity and inclusion superficially. “Without the support of leadership, it’s just tokenism.”

This tokenism is a recurring issue, as Shetty points out. Many organisations allocate resources—perhaps a bi-monthly meeting or training session. However, they fail to break the glass ceiling that limits women's true advancement in the workplace. 

“There’s a lot of intersectionality missing,” she notes, referring to how many companies approach gender inclusion without addressing the multiple dimensions of discrimination that women, particularly from marginalised groups, face. These initiatives often become mere checkboxes for compliance rather than a cultural shift towards equity.

Shetty's approach with Kelp HR is to ensure that real change happens by engaging directly with CEOs and senior leadership. She points out that her work with organisations begins with gauging their seriousness about the issue. “If I sense that they are truly committed to change, that’s when Kelp steps in,” she says. 

However, when leadership is not aligned with the mission of creating a safe and equitable workplace, the initiatives often falter. In her experience, HR teams may push for change, but without buy-in from the top, these efforts remain limited and ineffective.

A significant challenge that companies face is the perception of return on investment (ROI). Many businesses view these initiatives as unproductive, unable to see immediate tangible benefits. “They expect the plant to grow as soon as it’s watered,” Shetty says, but the reality is that such initiatives are long-term and often yield invisible results initially. 

Companies that fail to recognise the value of inclusivity, diversity, and mental health support risk becoming irrelevant, particularly as younger generations like Gen Z and Generation Alpha enter the workforce. 

“If you want to be relevant, you have to adapt. It’s like refusing to adopt computers in the digital age—you simply become obsolete,” she says.

Kelp HR operates in three critical areas—POSH, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and mental health. For Shetty, the key to success is not just implementing policies but creating a culture of trust. “We coach internal members on how to handle complaints, not just legally but also with empathy. The way a complaint is handled can build a legacy of trust, showing employees that this is a safe place to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.”

To ensure ongoing awareness, Kelp HR takes a holistic approach, using storytelling, theatre-based learning, and even gamified e-learning to engage employees in understanding harassment and consent. Smita remarks on the importance of this: “Even today, many employees—men and women alike—don’t fully understand what constitutes sexual harassment. Sometimes, they’re confused, thinking that certain behaviors are just part of the workplace culture.”

The road to full compliance with the POSH Act is still long, with Smita estimating that only about 30% of India’s organisations are compliant. She believes this number might even be ambitious. "It shouldn’t be a check in the box,” she says firmly. “Every woman and every gender minority should be aware of their rights and what consent really means.”

Beyond POSH, Shetty also emphasises the importance of addressing unconscious biases and privilege in the workplace. “Many don’t realise the privileges they have, whether it’s being a man or belonging to a majority group. We need to create spaces where these conversations can happen, and where allyship is encouraged.”

Kelp remains bootstrapped and has seven founders, who are a group of friends. It has been growing 25% year on year and has a clientele that includes the Tata Group and Mudra.

Message to women 

“One need not be working full-time in DEI to make a difference,” says Shetty. “If you have more exposure or privileges than someone else, support them. Be a mentor, offer guidance, and help lift others up,” she says. 

She advocates for more women and gender minorities to enter the field, noting that there is a significant shortage of talent in DEI in India.