Many corporate firms in India have limited women at the top positions, and the pace of change has decelerated. In 2024, 83 per cent of organisations reported increasing their number of women leaders over the prior five years; in 2026, only about 70 per cent had grown their women leaders, while 30 per cent reported stagnant or decreasing representation. The pipeline disparity remains; In 74 per cent of organisations, fewer than 30 per cent of long-term female employees advance to leadership roles, while a much higher proportion of the progress of male employees to leadership in those same organisations.

Indian women’s desire to lead remains strong in 2026, albeit slightly lower than in 2024. In 2024, 87 per cent of women professionals aspired to hold leadership roles; in 2026, about 79 per cent expressed the same ambition. Most of these aspiring women in both years targeted senior executive levels, yet in 2026 only 1 per cent of female respondents occupied a board level position.

Barriers remained consistent across both years. Family and caregiving responsibilities were the most frequently cited obstacle in 2024 (41 per cent), followed by gender bias and stereotypes (23 per cent). In 2026, family duties and gender bias were again top of mind, cited by approximately 38 per cent and 24 per cent of respondents, respectively. A new concern in 2026 was the heightened emphasis on work life balance and burnout as an impediment.