Women Drop Off At Mid-Management Despite Gains At Top
Women’s representation in corporate India falls from 32% at entry level to 18% at mid-management, even as their share of executive roles rises to 21%.
Women hold nearly a third of entry‑level individual contributor roles in corporate India, but their presence falls sharply once promotions begin, dropping to 18 per cent at mid‑management, a new Great Place To Work India report has found. The decline comes even as women now hold 21 per cent of executive‑level positions, up from 13 per cent in 2023, suggesting the middle of the career ladder remains a major point of talent loss.
The Women at Work 2026 report, based on 4.05 lakh employee voices across 375 organisations, found women comprise 32 per cent of individual contributors, falling to 20 per cent among frontline managers and further to 18 per cent at mid‑management.
The report describes the overlap between career progression and personal responsibilities as a “collision zone”, with leadership‑building years coinciding with marriage, pregnancy, childcare and eldercare, increasing the need for workplace flexibility and support.
Representation is not the only challenge. Forty‑six per cent of women said they received meaningful opportunities to develop new and better ways of doing things — nine percentage points lower than men.
At workplaces rated among the best for women, 83 per cent reported access to special or unique benefits. These organisations scored higher on training, fair pay, work‑life balance and were expanding opportunities for women at twice the average rate, with women taking four in every 10 new roles.
The report recommends flexible promotion windows, parental leave for all parents, structured returnships, childcare and eldercare support, sponsorship after career breaks, transparent promotion criteria and pay‑equity audits. It argues maternity support alone is insufficient and workplaces must support women throughout different stages of their careers and personal lives.
