<p>New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) India's major urban centres have made moderate yet promising progress in LGBTQ+ inclusion, according to the Open for Business City Ratings 2025, which benchmarks 149 cities globally based on LGBTQ+ inclusion and economic competitiveness.</p>.<p>Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have all earned a "C" rating, categorising them as "partially open for business".</p>.<p>The rating places them ahead of many other cities in the Asia-Pacific region, even as national policies remain "sluggish" in advancing LGBTQ+ rights.</p>.UK's LGBTQ+ workers still feel pressured to 'be less gay': Report .<p>The report highlighted that India's strides have been largely propelled by several proactive state-level initiatives and private sector leadership.</p>.<p>Landmark judicial decisions -- such as the Supreme Court's mandate for separate restrooms for transgender individuals in courts and the Madras High Court's 2025 ruling stating "homosexuality is not a disorder" -- have set the tone for greater inclusion, the report pointed out.</p>.<p>Other notable steps include Tamil Nadu's 2022 directive curbing police harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals and the Education Equality Index launched in 2024.</p>.<p>In the corporate space, the report said that companies such as Tata Steel and Mahindra have rolled out dedicated hiring programmes and employee resource groups for LGBTQ+ staff.</p>.<p>A Deloitte survey cited in the report found that Indian workplaces outperformed global averages in terms of LGBTQ+ employees' comfort in disclosing their identities.</p>.<p>Despite this progress, national-level actions have lagged behind. The Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against legalising same-sex marriages was a setback, the report said as it underlined that broader legal recognition and protection remain areas of concern.</p>.<p>"Inclusive cities attract talent and boost innovation," the report said, noting that cities with high LGBTQ+ inclusiveness scored four times better on human capital performance and 2.5 times higher on entrepreneurship. With India set to face a skilled labour shortage by 2030, fostering inclusive urban environments is described as a strategic economic necessity, according to the report.</p>.<p>India's case underscores a recurring theme across the report: cities can lead the way on inclusion even when national governments move slowly.</p>.<p>"While challenges persist, these advancements foster optimism for a more inclusive future," said Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder, Pride Circle, Rainbow Bazaar and Fameworks Entertainment, one of the contributors to the report.</p>.<p>The report highlights how inclusive urban policy is not only a moral imperative but also a smart economic move.</p>.<p>The City Ratings 2025 draws on 27 metrics sourced from internationally recognised data partners, including Oxford Economics, to evaluate cities across two key dimensions -- economic competitiveness and LGBTQ+ inclusion.</p>.<p>The report combined indicators on innovation, human capital, legal protection, and social attitudes to assess how open a city truly is for business.</p>.<p>In Asia, Bangkok emerged as a regional leader with a "B" rating, buoyed by Thailand's 2025 legalisation on same-sex marriage and a vibrant LGBTQ+ business ecosystem.</p>.<p>Singapore's rating improved to "A" following the repeal of Section 377A, although concerns remain about workplace discrimination and limited legal protection.</p>.<p>Conversely, cities like Manila, Jakarta and Colombo were ranked as "not open for business", reflecting low inclusiveness scores and persistent legal and societal barriers for LGBTQ+ communities. </p>
<p>New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) India's major urban centres have made moderate yet promising progress in LGBTQ+ inclusion, according to the Open for Business City Ratings 2025, which benchmarks 149 cities globally based on LGBTQ+ inclusion and economic competitiveness.</p>.<p>Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have all earned a "C" rating, categorising them as "partially open for business".</p>.<p>The rating places them ahead of many other cities in the Asia-Pacific region, even as national policies remain "sluggish" in advancing LGBTQ+ rights.</p>.UK's LGBTQ+ workers still feel pressured to 'be less gay': Report .<p>The report highlighted that India's strides have been largely propelled by several proactive state-level initiatives and private sector leadership.</p>.<p>Landmark judicial decisions -- such as the Supreme Court's mandate for separate restrooms for transgender individuals in courts and the Madras High Court's 2025 ruling stating "homosexuality is not a disorder" -- have set the tone for greater inclusion, the report pointed out.</p>.<p>Other notable steps include Tamil Nadu's 2022 directive curbing police harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals and the Education Equality Index launched in 2024.</p>.<p>In the corporate space, the report said that companies such as Tata Steel and Mahindra have rolled out dedicated hiring programmes and employee resource groups for LGBTQ+ staff.</p>.<p>A Deloitte survey cited in the report found that Indian workplaces outperformed global averages in terms of LGBTQ+ employees' comfort in disclosing their identities.</p>.<p>Despite this progress, national-level actions have lagged behind. The Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against legalising same-sex marriages was a setback, the report said as it underlined that broader legal recognition and protection remain areas of concern.</p>.<p>"Inclusive cities attract talent and boost innovation," the report said, noting that cities with high LGBTQ+ inclusiveness scored four times better on human capital performance and 2.5 times higher on entrepreneurship. With India set to face a skilled labour shortage by 2030, fostering inclusive urban environments is described as a strategic economic necessity, according to the report.</p>.<p>India's case underscores a recurring theme across the report: cities can lead the way on inclusion even when national governments move slowly.</p>.<p>"While challenges persist, these advancements foster optimism for a more inclusive future," said Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder, Pride Circle, Rainbow Bazaar and Fameworks Entertainment, one of the contributors to the report.</p>.<p>The report highlights how inclusive urban policy is not only a moral imperative but also a smart economic move.</p>.<p>The City Ratings 2025 draws on 27 metrics sourced from internationally recognised data partners, including Oxford Economics, to evaluate cities across two key dimensions -- economic competitiveness and LGBTQ+ inclusion.</p>.<p>The report combined indicators on innovation, human capital, legal protection, and social attitudes to assess how open a city truly is for business.</p>.<p>In Asia, Bangkok emerged as a regional leader with a "B" rating, buoyed by Thailand's 2025 legalisation on same-sex marriage and a vibrant LGBTQ+ business ecosystem.</p>.<p>Singapore's rating improved to "A" following the repeal of Section 377A, although concerns remain about workplace discrimination and limited legal protection.</p>.<p>Conversely, cities like Manila, Jakarta and Colombo were ranked as "not open for business", reflecting low inclusiveness scores and persistent legal and societal barriers for LGBTQ+ communities. </p>