Global DEI chill reaches India Inc:

2026-09-10 10:21:05 Education

Global DEI chill reaches India Inc: Women’s climb to the top stalls as share of Corporate Executive roles slips to 16.7%, finds 2026 Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in India study
Overall women’s representation among Best Companies slips to 34.6%; new Workplace Wellness study shows companies that invest in wellbeing do better on inclusion
Key Highlights
 Overall women’s representation slips to 34.6% among Best Companies, down from 35.7% in 2025, even as Top 10 companies held steadier at 42.8%
 Share of women in Corporate Executive roles fell to 16.7% among Best Companies this year, down from 20% in 2025
 Companies recognized on both the Best Companies for Workplace Wellness (BCWW) and BCWI lists show stronger representation, retention and second career hiring outcomes than the broader Best Companies cohort, an early, correlational signal that workplace wellness and inclusion go hand in hand.
Chennai, September 9th, 2026: Women’s progress into India Inc’s corner offices has stalled. The 11th edition of the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) study, released today by Avtar Career Creators Limited, India’s leading workplace culture consulting and inclusion solutions company, in partnership with US-based Seramount, a global workforce and talent solutions firm, finds that women now hold 16.7% of Corporate Executive roles among Best Companies, down from 20% in 2025. The decline at the top comes alongside a broader softening. Overall women’s representation among Best Companies dropped to 34.6% this year, down from 35.7% in 2025, even as Top 10 companies held steadier at 42.8%. After eleven years of steady gains, the data sends a clear message: progress cannot be taken for granted.
A total of 387 companies participated this year, of which 125 made it to the Best Companies list. The participating organizations span a diverse range of industries. Of the Best Companies, 37% are Indian companies and 63% are MNCs.
Here are the Top 10 Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in India for 2026, listed alphabetically:
• Accenture Solutions Private Limited
• AXA XL India Business Services Pvt. Ltd.
• Barclays
• EY
• HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited
• Lear Corporation
• Procter & Gamble India
• Tech Mahindra Limited
• TVS Motor Company Ltd
• Vedanta Oil and Gas Limited

Sector divide widens
Professional Services continues to lead, with women making up 45.6% of its workforce, followed by ITES at 39.8% and the Global Capability Centre (GCC) sector at 38.1%. At the other end, the pharmaceutical sector dropped to 17.3% this year from 24.6% in 2025, while Manufacturing continues to lag at 13.1%. Both sectors signal continued room for intensified inclusion efforts.
Why women leave: Health now outweighs childcare
The study also examined why women and men leave organizations. Attrition rates among Best Companies converge closely for both genders, at 20.4?ch. Access to better job opportunities remains the No. 1 reason to quit, cited by 89% of women and 93% of men. Notably, health and wellbeing related challenges emerge as a bigger reason for women to exit than childcare responsibilities (30% vs 28%), a pattern that has now held for a second consecutive year.
Inclusion intent holds firm
Among Best Companies, the share reporting an increase in operating profit due to inclusive practices rose from 70% in 2025 to 79.2% this year, while among the Top 10, it increased from 60% to 80%. This suggests that the business case for inclusion remains strong, even as women’s representation and advancement at the most senior levels lagged this year.
The India story

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