48% of NSE firms have no women as key managers; women losing out on higher paid jobs: study

Nearly half of the 2,647 companies listed on the National Stock Exchange have no women in key executive positions, according to an analysis of company filings. There were an average of 0.64 women per company in these positions in 2024-25; Only 10% of firms listed on NSE employed more than one woman in such leadership positions.

The research, conducted by Udaiti Foundation, a non-profit organisation, found that women’s representation in the formal workforce remained at 18%, a decline of one percentage point compared to 2020-21. The situation is even worse among formal workers earning more than ₹18,000 per month. While women constituted 21% of this group in 2020-21, their share fell to just 12% in 2024-25. In contrast, women’s representation among low-paid workers, as defined in the Wage Code, increased from 19% to 23% over the same period; This indicates that women are excluded from high-paying jobs in the formal sector and relegated to lower-paid positions.