Women’s representation in corporate roles falls to 16.7 pc

CHENNAI, SEP 9 (PTI): Women’s representation in corporate executive roles slipped to 16.7 per cent in 2026 from 20 per cent last year, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The 11th edition of the ‘Best Companies for Women in India’ study, conducted jointly by workplace culture consulting firm Avtar Career Creators and US-based talent solutions firm Seramount, found that overall female representation among companies on the list fell to 34.6 per cent from 35.7 per cent in 2025. However, the top 10 companies recorded a higher representation at 42.8 per cent.
A total of 387 companies participated in the study, of which 125 made it to the list.
Of these, 63 per cent were multinational corporations and 37 per cent were domestic firms.
The top 10 companies, listed alphabetically, are Accenture, AXA XL India, Barclays, EY, HDFC Life, Lear Corporation, Procter & Gamble India, Tech Mahindra, TVS Motor Company, and Vedanta Oil and Gas.
Sector-wise, Professional Services recorded the highest female representation at 45.6 per cent, followed by ITES at 39.8 per cent and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) at 38.1 per cent.
At the other end of the spectrum, female representation in Pharmaceuticals fell sharply to 17.3 per cent from 24.6 per cent in 2025, while Manufacturing recorded the lowest share at 13.1 per cent.
Among major cities, southern metros recorded the highest female representation, with Bengaluru at 41.1 per cent, Chennai at 39.1 per cent and Hyderabad at 38.9 per cent. Delhi-NCR lagged significantly at 28.5 per cent.
On reasons for women leaving jobs, the study found that health and wellbeing challenges, at 30 per cent, accounted for a larger share of exits than childcare responsibilities, at 28 per cent, marking the second consecutive year in which health and wellbeing emerged as the bigger factor. Seeking better opportunities remained the top overall reason for job exits across genders.
Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-Managing Director of Avtar Group, said progress on inclusion was not linear.
“The task now is to turn that intent into lasting outcomes, especially at the top,” she said.