Mumbai: India’s leading workplace culture consultancy, Avtar, has released the 10th edition of its annual list of Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI). This year, 125 companies made it to the list. A key highlight was that women’s representation at leadership levels touched 20% for the first time, while the overall share of women employees remained steady at 35.7%.
The professional services sector topped the list with 44.6% women employees, followed by ITES at 41.7%. Pharma (25%), FMCG (23%), and manufacturing (12%) sectors also showed steady progress in increasing women’s participation.
According to the study, the attrition rate for both men and women stood at around 20%, with “better career opportunities” being the primary reason for job switches. However, among women, health and wellness issues emerged as a bigger cause of attrition than even childcare responsibilities.
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder and Chairperson of Avtar, said: “In 2016, the average female representation was 25%, which has now risen to 35.7%. Women in the C-suite have also increased from 13% to 20%. The most encouraging aspect is that this growth is no longer confined to multinationals alone—Indian companies’ share has risen from 25% in 2021 to 40% this year.”
For BCWI 2025, a total of 365 organizations applied, representing diverse sectors such as automobile, BFSI, chemicals, FMCG, e-commerce, IT, healthcare, pharma, real estate, media, logistics, and professional services.
Avtar and Seramount also unveiled the Top 10 Best Companies for Women in India 2025, featuring organizations that have set benchmarks in gender inclusion and workplace equity.
(By Anil Bedag)
