A Newz Hook article shared what happened at India’s first Autism Advantage Luncheon, which was attended by experts, NGOs, parents, and representatives from almost 15 multinational companies. The event was held at the SAP Lab Headquarters in Bengaluru.

The one-day Autism Advantage Luncheon was led by the emcee, Nikhil Haldipur, an SAP Labs employee diagnosed with autism. The said event was organised to encourage stakeholders to explore ways that promote inclusion in the workplace.

V R Ferose, the Senior Vice President and Head of the SAP Engineering Academy, was invited as a speaker at the event. He started the Autism at Work programme in India. In his keynote address, he shared the history of the programme in the country. He said:

“Autism at Work is a great programme, but to create a dent in the universe, you have to change the system. In 2013, when we started the programme at SAP Labs, we set a goal of 650 jobs for people with autism. Today, we are at 150. We have a long way to go.”

Additionally, Sindhu Gangadharan, the Managing Director of SAP Labs India, shared how the programme became one of the catalysts of the organisation’s growth and the reasons why SAP Labs India was one of the best places to work.

She shared how the Autism at Work became a global program six years ago and has expanded to almost 15 countries. She also talked about how the global company established inclusion in the workplace by employing more than 150 individuals with autism. In her speech, she said:

“From a business point of view, we have grown as an organisation with each acquisition. Each acquisition has brought with it unique skill sets, and we truly believe that without a strong culture of inclusion, we cannot progress.”

Some companies and organisations shared their best practices at work at the Autism Advantage Luncheon. For example, Big Bazaar, an Indian retail chain of grocery stores, established a Quiet Hour at some of its stores for its employees with autism. Also, Dell Technologies, an American multinational company, organised Hackathons to develop early intervention technologies for children who are may potentially be diagnosed with autism.

Sugundhi Ravindranathan, a parent with a child on the spectrum, attended the event. He talked about the positive impact of the group in building awareness on autism. He shared:

“This is a group that is already aware, and it is nice to see people doing something, but it can’t remain confined here. It can’t be a silo and has to become a movement.”

V S Basavaraju, the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities at Karnataka, talked about the experiences of an individual in the NGO level and the government’s possible stand about autism. He said:

“Understanding for the government is a challenge, and we all need to step in and help with that. It is tough, but let’s not hesitate to do that because once we do, the change we can bring in is big.”

Admittedly, one of the most significant barriers identified in achieving success for the program is the lack of data. The World Health Organisation shared that 15{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of the global population is living with a disability. The said number is attributed to 2.1{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of India’s population, which does not provide accurate figures.

Towards the end of the event, Ferose shared some key takeaways from the event. He pointed out that good managers could help manage diversity successfully. In his talk, he pointed out what could impact the future of the program. He added:

“Make the success of an Autism at Work programme a tool for managerial evaluation. It is important to have, not outcome-driven, but compassionate managers. For the Autism at Work programme to succeed, companies have to make compassion the core value.”

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