Women Form Only 26% of India’s Workforce, Just 8% in CEO Roles: Great Place to Work Report

Despite policy reforms and inclusive initiatives, women’s representation in India’s workforce has remained stagnant. The ‘India’s Best Workplaces for Women & in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) 2025’ report by Great Place to Work India reveals that women continue to make up only 26% of the workforce — a figure unchanged for the past three years.

The report underscores the persistence of a “broken rung” in leadership pathways. While women represent 28% of individual contributors, their presence sharply declines at higher levels: 19% at front-line management, 16% at mid-level roles, 15% in executive positions, and just 8% at the CEO level.

Structural challenges such as career breaks post-maternity, rigid workplace models, and unclear promotion channels are contributing to stagnation and high attrition among women professionals.

Sectoral Disparities

The report highlights striking variations across industries. Women are better represented in non-profits (47%) and education (41%), but remain significantly underrepresented in transportation (12%) and biotechnology and pharmaceuticals (13%).

Challenges Faced by Women at Work

Many women professionals, particularly in mid-management, continue to feel excluded from decision-making spaces and describe their workplaces as male-dominated “boys’ clubs.”

Work-life balance remains a critical challenge, with 22% of women reporting dissatisfaction. Rigid schedules, micromanagement, and ineffective hybrid models add to workplace stress. As one respondent noted, “The rigid 9-to-6 schedule doesn’t work for everyone. Flexibility would make me more productive.”

Post-maternity attrition continues to be high due to limited flexible work arrangements and insufficient support systems.

Where Companies Are Driving Change

The report also highlights organisations pioneering best practices:

• S&P Global introduced ‘Anytime Promotions’, enabling career progression discussions beyond annual review cycles.

• PwC India provides five flexible work options along with travel support for new mothers.

• Brooke Hospitals for Animals grants gender equity leave for menstrual discomfort and fertility treatments.

• Pracyva Limited has introduced leadership shadowing, while Axis Max Life Insurance offers support circles to mentor women professionals.

These initiatives demonstrate how intent, backed by robust policies, can help build sustainable leadership pipelines for women.

The Case for Inclusion

Great Place to Work emphasises that organisations prioritising diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) outperform others in terms of productivity, retention, and innovation. At the best workplaces, women reported an 8% higher positive experience in fairness and benefits compared with other organisations.

However, the report warns that true inclusion requires leadership accountability, measurable diversity goals, and empathetic policies. Without increased participation of women in leadership, India risks slowing its progress toward a more equitable and productive workforce.