ABSTRACT

According to Brundtland's report, sustainable development is best understood as "to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (Sharma, 2009). However, sustainability does not restrict itself to restoring natural resources; it also means the inclusion of marginalized sections of the society, working and growing in tandem with them. This research deep diveinto the relationship between LGBT inclusion and economic development, emphasizing the role of human capital approach in amplifying its direction and magnitude. This article, through various studies, asserts a compelling business case for LGBT inclusion inorganisations. The study points out the economic impact of including gender and sexual minoritiesin society, and its importance of working and growing in tandem. Economists lament the ill effects of discrimination against these marginalised sections and highlight the unutilised human capital, which is 135 million Indian population and an untapped LGBT+ economy of US $200 billion. This would have a domino effect onfuture generations and escalate the inequity even further, influencing the economy and society. Hence, it is imperative to accentuate LBGT inclusion as a compelling business case in the workplace.

Keywords :  LGBT inclusion, economic development, human capital, productivity, sexual orientation, gender identity