Muslims constitute 14% of India, but just 3% of India Inc

MUMBAI: Last Monday, Vice President Hamid Ansari referred to the appalling state of Muslims and goaded the state and other societal actors towards affirmative action. But how does India Inc fare on this count? An ET Intelligence Group analysis indicate Muslims constitute a mere 2.67% of directors and senior executives — 62 of the 2,324 executives — among the BSE 500 companies. These top executives took home 3.14% of the total remuneration drawn by this group. The BSE 500 corresponds to almost 93% of the m-cap on the stock exchange. The Muslim employment figure in senior management for BSE-100 companies, in comparison, goes up slightly to 4.60% — 27 of 587 — of total directors and senior executives, though the remuneration drops to 2.56%. Data on blue-collar employment of Muslims, who constitute 14.2% of population, in the private sector is scarce. MOST DEPRIVED The Muslim minority, the most deprived of communities in the Indian jobs market, doesn't yet figure on the radar of corporate India. Even the affirmative action (AA) framework, which the private sector was prompted to adopt and implement in the last decade, is largely focused on the Dalits, leaving the Muslims entirely to their own devices.