How Corporate India rallied behind change in gay laws

Ritu Dalmia: Ritu is the Chef and Co-owner of the popular Italian restaurant Diva in Delhi, which she established in 2000, with co-founder Gita Bhalla under partnership firm Riga Food. Born in Kolkata to a Marwari business family, she joined her family business of marble stone at the age of 16. In 1993, at the age of 22 she started her first restaurant. It was a 2013 statement from Supreme Court Justice GS Singhvi that he had never “met a gay person” which spurred celebrated Chef Ritu Dalmia to take on activism to decriminalise gay sex. Dalmia was quoted as saying, “A smile stuck on my face. This is a moment of relief.” 

Aman Nath: Aman (61) is the co- founder and co-chairman of the famous boutique chain of heritage hotels, the Neemrana Group, along with his partner late Francis Wacziarg. Nath is also a well-known writer and architectural restorer. The couple has an adopted daughter Aadhya Nath. Born and brought up in New Delhi, Nath completed his education with a post-graduate degree in medieval Indian history from Delhi University.

Navtej Jauhar And Sunil Mehra: A dancer and rights activist, Jauhar’s legal fight to decriminalise gay sex began in 2016 when he, along with other activists including his partner, filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Section 377 of the IPC. Mehra is well known journalist and exponent of Dastangoi, a 13th-century form of oral storytelling.

Keshav Suri: Keshav (33) is an executive director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. He is son of the late hotelier, Lalit Suri who was the founding chairman and owner of Bharat Hotels, which runs the famous Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. The group’s night-club, Kitty Su, a brain-child of Keshav himself, works towards an inclusive society and is known for offering employment to differently-abled and LGBTQI community members. Suri in his petition in court has said he is in a committed relationship with another adult man for nearly a decade.