Gender equality in the corporate world has long been an aspirational goal, one that seeks to manifest in its truest form. The rhetoric on women’s empowerment reaches a crescendo every International Women’s Day, adorned with carefully curated policies and celebratory narratives. Yet, whether these grand proclamations translate into tangible change remains a contentious debate. The Indian job market has inched closer to true inclusivity as more women step into the workforce in unprecedented numbers.
Fresher jobs for women have surged by an astounding 48% in 2025 compared to the previous year, as reported by IANS. According to a report from Foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), a talent platform helping job seekers get jobs highlight that the remarkable upswing is driven by high-growth sectors such as information technology (IT), banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), manufacturing, and healthcare. In fact, one in four job opportunities in 2025 is designated for freshers, underscoring the increasing demand for women professionals, particularly in IT, human resources, and marketing, suggests the report.
A closer examination of the data reveals that women dominate the 0-3 years’ experience bracket, holding 53% of available roles, followed by 32% in the 4-6 years category. The IT sector remains at the forefront, employing 34% of women professionals, with recruitment, BFSI, and advertising also witnessing an upward trajectory in female participation. Even industries long touted as male-dominated—such as engineering and production—are witnessing a shift, with female representation rising from 6% to 8% in just a year.
However, while workplaces are increasingly welcoming women, boardrooms tell a starkly different story—one where progress is stifled, and ambition collides with an unrelenting glass ceiling. Opportunities may abound at entry levels, but leadership positions continue to witness a glaring absence of female executives. The pressing questions remain at the forefront: Why do women remain starkly underrepresented at the top? Is it the weight of archaic biases, or does corporate inertia still dictate who truly gets a seat at the table?
The Paradox of Progress: Leadership Remains a Distant Dream
The rise in entry-level opportunities paints a promising picture, yet the ascent of women to leadership remains shackled by elusive rulebooks. A report by PRIME Database Group—a company specializing in capital market data—unearthed a somber reality regarding female representation at the upper echelons of corporate India. While women constitute 23% of the workforce, their presence diminishes dramatically as one moves up the hierarchy. Merely 13% of key management personnel (KMP) roles are held by women, just 10% occupy executive director positions, and an abysmal 5% reach the coveted CEO or managing director levels, the report reveals.
The data narrates a tale of entrenched gender disparity in the workplace. The corporate glass ceiling remains firmly intact, obstructing women from rising to elite positions despite their growing presence in the workforce. This invisible yet formidable barrier is further compounded by ingrained biases that systematically undervalue women’s leadership potential, often dismissing their capabilities for decision-making roles.
The Gender Pay Chasm: Compensation That Favours Men
One of the most glaring and disturbing manifestations of workplace inequality is the gender pay gap. A long-standing issue that has been spotlighted across industries, including Bollywood, finds a strikingly similar reflection in corporate India. The PRIME Database Group report highlights that as of FY24, male executive directors earned a median salary of ₹114 lakh—an astonishing 62% higher than their female counterparts, who earned ₹71 lakh. For non-promoter executive directors, the disparity is even more egregious, with men earning ₹93 lakh—134% more than women, who earned only ₹40 lakh. The wage gap extends across all levels, with male KMPs earning nearly double that of their female counterparts and male employees making six times more than women. These figures stand in stark contrast to corporate India’s rhetoric on gender-inclusive workplaces.
The Boardroom Gap: Tokenism Over True Representation
The boardrooms, where crucial business decisions are made, continue to be male-dominated, echoing the persistent gender disparity in corporate India. While 97% of NSE-listed companies now have at least one woman director, only 21% of directorship positions are occupied by women. Among the 2,133 listed companies, a mere 103 have a woman CEO or managing director. Alarmingly, 67% of these women CEOs belong to the promoter group, underscoring the glaring lack of professional executive women in top leadership roles.
Hidden Biases Reinforcing Corporate Norms
Deeply ingrained biases continue to shape hiring and promotion decisions. Women are often perceived as less assertive or ambitious, leading to fewer leadership opportunities and a preference for male candidates in top positions. These stereotypes, coupled with the expectation that women will prioritize family responsibilities over career advancement, reinforce the barriers that keep them from breaking through the glass ceiling.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling: The Way Forward
Dismantling the glass ceiling requires more than token policies—it demands a fundamental overhaul of corporate culture. Companies must take concrete steps to foster gender equity in leadership through structural and cultural reforms, including:
- Transparent and Equitable Pay Structures: Enforcing pay parity policies and conducting regular audits to bridge the gender wage gap.
- Merit-Based Leadership Pipelines: Establishing structured mentorship and sponsorship programs to facilitate women’s progression into leadership roles.
- Flexible Work Policies: Encouraging hybrid work models that accommodate women’s evolving career needs without penalizing them for career breaks.
- Unbiased Recruitment and Promotion Practices: Implementing blind hiring techniques and objective performance evaluation criteria to eliminate unconscious bias.
- Boardroom Diversity Mandates: Strengthening gender diversity mandates for corporate boards to ensure women have a legitimate presence at the decision-making table.
India stands at a crucial crossroads, where women are entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, yet the climb to leadership remains an arduous battle. If organisations fail to dismantle the barriers obstructing female advancement, they risk letting go of a pool of talented resources. The question is no longer confined to representation- it is whether corporate India will dissolve the barriers of tradition and take decisive action to ensure true gender parity in leadership.
