Stories
Bridging the Gap: How India Inc Can Drive Women from Entry to Leadership
C
CNBC TV18•06-10-2026, 15:19
Bridging the Gap: How India Inc Can Drive Women from Entry to Leadership
- •Women account for one-fourth of the Indian workforce, but representation drops sharply from 33 percent in individual roles to 16 percent in mid-management, creating a critical missing middle.
- •The collision zone occurs when career acceleration overlaps with major life transitions like marriage and caregiving, often mistaken by companies as declining ambition.
- •Leading workplaces redesign systems by offering phased returns, flexible work arrangements, and shared caregiving support to help women sustain career momentum.
- •Sustaining career progression to the top requires early leadership readiness, visible opportunity allocation, high-impact assignments, and active sponsorship.
- •True workplace inclusion goes beyond mere headcount by ensuring equity of experience in pay, recognition, promotions, and daily fairness.
Key Questions Answered
The missing middle describes the sharp drop in female representation as careers progress, where women account for 33% of individual contributor roles but fall to 22% at frontline management and just 16% in mid-management roles.
The collision zone is the critical career stage where professional acceleration coincides with major life transitions like marriage, parenthood, and caregiving responsibilities, causing a steep drop in female representation.
Top workplaces redesign their systems by investing in phased returns, smooth return-to-work programs, extended caregiving support, flexible work arrangements, and paternity benefits that encourage shared responsibilities.
