Despite the rapid growth of India’s startup ecosystem, women hold only 7% of executive positions across 121 unicorns, according to a recent report by staffing consultancy Longhouse.
The study highlights a significant gender disparity in leadership roles, particularly in technology-driven startups, where male executives dominate decision-making positions.
Gender Disparity in Leadership Roles
The report reveals that women executives are largely concentrated in mid-senior level roles, such as heads and directors, contributing to execution and team management.
However, only 14% of women leaders hold vice president or senior vice president positions, overseeing major tech functions and strategic initiatives.
The youngest unicorns, founded between 2020 and 2024, have the weakest representation of women in top leadership roles, with female professionals occupying just 1% of senior positions.
In contrast, companies founded between 2008 and 2013 have the highest share of women CXOs, at 49%.
Factors Contributing to Low Representation of Women
Experts attribute the low representation of women in executive roles to several factors:
- Limited talent pipeline due to low female enrollment in engineering education.
- Lack of sponsorship for women transitioning from middle management to CXO roles.
- Societal expectations that disproportionately affect women’s leadership opportunities.
Priyanka Chopra, Managing Partner at IIMA Ventures, emphasized that mentorship alone is not enough—women need sponsors who actively advocate for their inclusion in decision-making.
Sectoral Trends in Women’s Leadership
The report highlights sector-wise variations in female leadership across unicorn startups:
- SaaS and deeptech startups lead with 31% of women in top tech roles.
- E-commerce and D2C startups follow with 28% representation.
- Fintech startups have 17% female leadership.
- Foodtech (8%), media & entertainment (7%), and travel (5%) show the lowest representation.
Interestingly, 40% of female leaders in unicorn startups come from non-startup backgrounds, indicating that companies are actively recruiting experienced professionals from corporate and other industries.
Industry leaders suggest that structured leadership development programs and venture capital-backed initiatives could help nurture middle-level female talent into executive roles.
Ruchi Kalra, co-founder of OfBusiness and Oxyzo, believes that the next five years will see a rise in women leaders if organizations retain and support their existing female talent.
Note: We are also on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google News, and YouTube, to get the latest news updates, Subscribe to our Channels. WhatsApp– Click Here, Google News– Click Here, YouTube – Click Here, and LinkedIn– Click Here.
