Gender Diversity in Corporate India

Current Statistics and Challenges

• Women hold only 21% of board seats in India.
• A mere 5% of National Stock Exchange-listed firms have women as CEOs or managing directors.
• 63.45% of listed companies lack women in key leadership roles, according to the Marching Sheep Inclusion Index 2025.

Gender Diversity: An Economic and Strategic Imperative

• Companies with higher inclusion report higher net profits than their peers, reflecting that diversity makes commercial sense beyond being a moral issue.
• There is a "missing middle" in gender representation; women are present in entry-level roles and at the top but underrepresented at the middle-management level.
• Women are often placed in functions like human resources and corporate social responsibility rather than in core business units like finance and operations, which remain male-dominated.

Implications and Way Forward

• The lack of gender diversity in critical business functions not only limits women's career growth but also impacts the quality of decision-making within companies.
• Women constitute just 22% of corporate employees, even less than their participation in the general workforce.
• To harness India's demographic dividend, inclusion must be genuine. Companies should track gender-disaggregated metrics across recruitment, attrition, pay, and promotion.
• Structured mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership training should be provided to high-potential women, especially in finance and operations.

Supportive Work Environments and Policy Recommendations

• Policies like flexible schedules, parental leave, and re-entry programs are essential for enabling productivity.
• Regulators should encourage voluntary disclosures on gender in various roles, similar to ESG frameworks.
• Investors are increasingly considering diversity in their evaluations of corporate governance and long-term risk.

Conclusion

Corporate India must move from symbolic inclusion to substantive influence by empowering women with authority, resources, and decision-making powers. The ultimate goal is to build resilient, innovative, and future-ready organizations through gender-balanced leadership.