Pride Month has become a fixture on the corporate calendar, with initiatives and campaigns promoting awareness and inclusivity. But the playbook in recent times has evolved. Quietly, yes but also, dominantly. What began as rainbow logos and one social media post has now grown into something more layered. Brands in India are recognising that visibility isn’t enough. Inclusion now packs with consistency, cultural awareness, and a shift from campaigns to commitments.
This year was no different in spirit but a few initiatives did feel more rooted. While brand participation in Pride is no longer new, 2025 saw a few fresh efforts that went beyond campaigns and entered community spaces with conscious storytelling. In 2025, many companies approached ‘Pride’ not as a marketing moment but as a storytelling opportunity or a chance to deepen community ties.
Definitely, there's a visible rise in DEI-led initiatives and employee-led conversations. But there’s also the growing pressure to be mindful as queer audiences today can spot performative allyship from a mile away. And thus, the tension remains: Can a brand truly be inclusive if its efforts peak only in June? And how do you stand out when the entire internet is coloured in the same palette? This year’s Pride efforts across India offer just those exact clues, not because they were all perfect, but because they reflect where brand intent is headed. The focus is shifting from what looks good to what does good and in a noisy digital landscape, that’s a strategy worth noting.
'Pride@Godrej' is one such excellent initiative by Godrej DEI Labs. Godrej Industries Group continued its decade-long journey of workplace inclusion with a Pride Month celebration that went beyond surface-level visibility. The company hosted a day-long event at its Mumbai headquarters that blended community, culture, and commerce. The celebration began with a Pride March, led by senior leadership including Manish Shah, MD of Godrej Capital, and joined by queer employees and allies across the organization. “For us, Pride@Godrej in 2025 went beyond publishing, performance, workplace representation or entrepreneurship—it took on a simple and radical question: what would it mean to not just celebrate queer lives, but to actively invest in queer futures?” says, Parmesh Shahani, Head of Godrej DEI Lab, and author of Queeristan. That guiding thought shaped the platforms created this year, that invited queer voices to be heard, seen, and empowered.
Two standout initiatives were the 'Pitch Bazaar' and the 'Queer Bazaar'. While the former brought together unpublished queer writers to pitch their work to publishers and media professionals, the latter offered queer-owned small businesses an opportunity to showcase and sell their products within the corporate campus. “Pride isn’t a calendar event for us—it’s a cultural commitment,” Shahani explained. Another highlight was the launch of 'Queer Directions', a queer publishing imprint created in partnership with Westland Books. Sahani added, “Through initiatives like Queer Directions and Pitch Bazaar, we’re not just celebrating queer lives, but actively investing in queer futures, helping ensure their stories and businesses find space in the mainstream.” The day ended with a performance of 'Jhumkewali', a play on lesbian love and identity, reinforcing the brand’s focus on representation through language and culture. Throughout June, different Godrej Group companies have been rolling out sensitisation workshops, art contests, allyship panels, and LGBTQIA+ hiring drives—positioning inclusion as not just a message, but a method.
That same shift was also visible in global sports branding. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, PUMA, in collaboration with the English Football League (EFL), had introduced the Rainbow Ball, an official matchday ball featuring the iconic Pride flag. They brought back their Rainbow Ball for a second consecutive year, reinforcing their commitment to inclusion within professional football. Between February 6–17, 2025, all 72 EFL clubs used the redesigned Pride-themed match ball during the 'Football v Homophobia Month of Action'. As with last year, PUMA pledged to donate funds for every goal scored with the Rainbow Ball, this time supporting Football v Homophobia’s educational and anti-discrimination initiatives across England and Wales. The funds previously enabled events like Middlesbrough FC’s 'My Boro, My Shirt' exhibition and new Pride signage at Chesterfield FC. In 2025, the initiative also extended into gaming, with EA SPORTS FC 25 integrating the Rainbow Ball into its gameplay—bringing the campaign’s message to virtual pitches as well.
Extending the idea of visibility into consumer-facing spaces, travel label Nasher Miles leaned into everyday representation with its Pride Month campaign, 'Show Your Colour With Pride', created in collaboration with Myntra. The campaign spotlighted themes of identity, individuality, and self-expression, featuring voice artist and drag performer Lauren Robinson, who shared their personal journey around embracing queerness. While the digital film celebrated self-representation, the brand also extended the campaign to a public space—with a striking on-ground activation at Goa Airport, where the baggage carousel was transformed into a rainbow runway. “At Nasher Miles, colour isn’t just a design choice, it’s at the heart of everything we do,” says Shruti Kedia Daga, Co-Founder and Head of Marketing. “With the ‘Show Your Colour With Pride’ campaign, we wanted to celebrate individuality and identity in a way that felt visible, joyful, and true to both our brand and the spirit of Pride,” adds Kedia. By merging product storytelling with queer narratives in both digital and offline spaces, the campaign reflected an approach that was accessible yet thoughtful—making space for representation without relying on spectacle.
The focus on inclusion also extended into the language of everyday living. IKEA India, in collaboration with Leo India, launched a limited-edition rainbow-coloured doormat called 'PILLEMARK' for Pride Month. Placed at store entrances and featured in a digital campaign, the mat invited individuals to make their homes visibly inclusive, turning a simple household item into a powerful symbol of allyship. Around the same time, a story that captured wide attention was Britannia Good Day’s bold, public invitation to Parle Monaco: a move considered one of the first of its kind in Indian advertising. Through a front-page print ad in the Times of India, Britannia left a blank space beside its rainbow-themed cookie pack, inviting Monaco to join hands in co-creating a 'Flavours of Equality Pride' edition. While the cheeky gesture stood out for its openness, it also carried the weight of shared values, marking a shift from competition to collaboration in support of inclusivity. Parle responded on social media, accepting the invite and affirming their ongoing commitment to allyship “not just for one month, but every day.” Together, the two legacy brands used visibility not as a spotlight on themselves, but as a signal of solidarity, turning commercial packaging into a conversation about equality.
Beyond branding and campaigns, some companies took their allyship to the streets—literally. Future Generali India Insurance kicked off Pride Month 2025 with what it called India’s largest Corporate Pride Walkathon, titled Walk with Pride. Held on June 1 in Mumbai, the 3-km walk from Bandra Fort saw participation from over 500 individuals, including employees, LGBTQIA+ community members, public figures, and corporate allies. With each registration, the company contributed to The Humsafar Trust, supporting healthcare for queer individuals. “At Future Generali India Insurance we view DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) as a fundamental responsibility rather than a moral obligation,” said Ruchika Malhan Varma, Chief Marketing, Customer and Impact Officer. “This initiative is not merely a symbolic gesture; it is our commitment to support LGBTQIA+ rights and ensure access to dignified healthcare to people from within the community.”
What’s clear from this year’s Pride campaigns is that Indian brands are slowly but steadily moving from symbolism to substance. Whether it’s through publishing platforms, collaborative calls, queer-led films, or simply a doormat at the door—each gesture, when rooted in authenticity, adds to a growing culture of awareness and acceptance. The shift is no longer about who participates in Pride, but how they do it. As audiences grow more discerning, the brands that will stay relevant are the ones willing to listen, learn, and show up—well beyond June. In 2025, Pride wasn’t just about visibility. It was about voice, action, and the courage to do more than just show the rainbow.
