Corporate giants launch Pride Fund to support grassroots LGBTQIA+ organisations

Godrej Industries Group, Radhika Piramal, and Keshav Suri Foundation, in collaboration with Dasra, a philanthropic and strategic impact organisation, launched the Pride Fund on Tuesday. The fund has an initial corpus of Rs 2 crore, with commitments to expand annually based on additional fundraising.

The fund is dedicated to supporting grassroots queer organisations across India and will address the chronic underfunding of LGBTQIA+ initiatives in India.

It will provide multi-year, flexible financial support to NGOs working on LGBTQIA+ rights, safety, employment, healthcare, and legal aid. It will also bring together corporate philanthropy and grassroots organisations, ensuring sustainable financial backing for queer-led initiatives.

Philanthropists and corporate leaders—Parmesh Shahani (Vice President at Godrej Industries and Head of Godrej DEI Lab), Radhika Piramal (Vice Chairperson of VIP Industries and Trustee at Dasra), and Keshav Suri (Executive Director at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and Head of Keshav Suri Foundation)—launched the fund in Mumbai. 

According to the leaders, the motivation behind the Pride Fund stems from a growing frustration with the slow pace of legislative and social change in India and poor access to corporate funding by small, grassroots organisations working for the cause. 

Piramal, who identifies as lesbian and married her wife Amanda in London, spoke about her disappointment after the Supreme Court declined to grant marriage equality in its October 2023 ruling. 

"Where else do we go but back to the people?" she said at the launch event held at Godrej One headquarters. 

She continued, "I cannot legally register my marriage with my wife in India. That reality is deeply unfair, and while the legal battle continues, we must do more now to uplift the community, especially those facing discrimination, violence, and exclusion at multiple levels."

Suri—an openly gay hospitality leader who has trained thousands of queer individuals in the hospitality, retail, and finance sectors—emphasised the need for long-term financial commitment. 

"We don’t just need allies; we need accomplices. It’s not enough to say you support LGBTQIA+ rights—funding and action must follow words," he said.

Alongside the launch of the Pride Fund, the leaders released ‘Against All Odds’, a comprehensive report mapping the funding landscape for LGBTQIA+ organisations in India. The report highlights that:

• India receives less than 1% of global funding for LGBTQIA+ issues, despite having an estimated 140 million LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Only two of India’s top 50 philanthropists explicitly support LGBTQIA+ causes.
• Over half of queer non-profits in India operate with budgets below Rs 50 lakh per year, leaving them unable to scale their impact.
• International funding dominates the sector, with 59% of resources coming from global donors, making sustainability a significant challenge.
• 53% of LGBTQIA+ non-profits in India operate at the hyperlocal level, addressing specific community needs​.

The report also underscores the urgent need for domestic funding and corporate participation to support LGBTQIA+ initiatives. 

"For years, Indian companies have spent crores on weddings and lavish celebrations. It’s time they invest in ensuring queer people can access the same basic rights and dignities," Piramal said.

A focus on grassroots and systemic change

The Pride Fund’s first phase will offer financial support to eight queer-led organisations chosen through a rigorous selection process. Some of the critical criteria include—leadership by queer individuals, impact at the grassroots level, intersectional work, and commitment to structural and systemic change.

These organisations are:

• Basera Samajik Sansthan (Noida) - A community-based organisation supporting HIV-positive individuals and providing interventions to vulnerable groups, including sex workers, MSM (men who have sex with men), and transgenders 
• Deepshikha Samiti (Delhi) – It works with marginalised communities and helps people with HIV AIDS find employment and participate in governance
• Vikalp Women’s Group (Vadodara) - It works for the rights of marginalised women and gender/sexual minorities in rural, tribal areas 
• Sappho for Equality (Kolkata) – It fights for the rights and social justice of individuals with non-normative gender-sexual orientations and identities 
• Karna Subarna Welfare Society (Murshidabad) – The non-profit works on building resilience within the LGBTQIA+ community and generating sustainable livelihood opportunities 
• Ya All: The Youth Network (Manipur) - A queer and youth-led organisation working on the health and wellbeing of adolescents and youths of Manipur’s LGBTQIA+ community 
• Chhattisgarh Mitwa Sankalp Samiti (Chhattisgarh) - It works on the development and mobilisation of the transgender community
• Payana (Bengaluru) – The NGO provides advocacy services to local sexual minority communities.

"Our goal is not just to give grants but to create a long-term funding ecosystem," said Shahani, Head of Godrej DEI Lab. Shahani identifies as gay and advocates for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in the workplace, which has community members employed at different levels. 

He added, "Year one is just the start. We are committed to expanding this initiative and encouraging more corporate and private donors to participate."

The founders called on businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and corporate CSR initiatives to commit to funding the LGBTQIA+ movement in India. 

The leaders have created three tiers of donation categories—Catalyst (Rs 25-50 lakh), Illuminator (Rs 50 lakh+), and Beacon Circle (Rs 5 crore+)—to attract diverse funders.

“Today, one of the biggest challenges is that the critical connection—between the largest corporations and the neediest NGOs—doesn’t exist. Big, well-known LGBTQIA+ organisations do get funding and resources, but, if you want to ensure that your corporate money is reaching the most underfunded places, this fund is a bridge to see that happen,” said Saurabh Kirpal, a senior advocate and LGBTQIA+ rights crusader, who was among the planners behind the Pride Fund.