Corporate India finds itself caught in a contradiction. While women aspire to lead, the system meant to propel them forward continues to be rigid.
A report by the All-India Management Association (AIMA) and KPMG India reveals a yawning gap between women’s ambition and the truth of the corporate world.
According to the report, 79% of women aspire to leadership roles. Over half have their sights set on the C-suite. Yet, a poor progress report emerges.
Thirty per cent of the organisations showed no increase in women leaders over the past five years. That number is almost double of what it was in 2024.
The report states that 10% of organisations have no women in leadership positions. It’s a reminder of the disproportion that prevails in men and women’s numbers in leadership roles.
More things change, the more they remain the same
The Women Leadership in Corporate India 2026 report is based on responses from over 200 professionals. The data is taken from various sectors and different business sizes.
Despite formal DEI policies, only 1% of women hold board-level positions.
The fault line reportedly lies in progression. Nearly three-fourths of organisations reported that fewer than 30% of their long-tenured female employees rise to leadership.
Men within the same firms advance in far greater numbers.
Middle and senior management emerge as the most precarious stretch. Sixty-five percent of respondents identified mid-career as the stage where women are most likely to exit the workforce entirely.
Access to development programmes is another gap. Businesses emphasise leadership training, yet half the women surveyed denied having participated in any such session over the past year.
It raises questions about organisational commitment.
A part of the report reads: “Leadership diversity will not improve unless organisations intentionally strengthen the path to leadership, ensuring women have real opportunities to rise — not just enter the workforce.”
Without a strong intent for reform, diversity and inclusion will be nothing more than feel-good words on paper.
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