Women make up 30% of the workforce in India: Zinnov-Intel study

Women now constitute 30% of the workforce in India, up from 21% some five years earlier, according to a joint study by management consulting firm Zinnov and chipmaker Intel. 

The survey, which included over 60 companies in India, found that there are only 11% of senior women leaders in the ecosystem. However, the junior and mid-levels are slightly better with 38% and 20% respectively.

“Concerted efforts over the years have moved the needle from 21% to 30% for the diversity numbers. However, the commitment to change needs to move beyond an organizational setting and include an ecosystem-wide lens” said Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov. 

“Enabling science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career options for young women, supporting women-led start-ups, and encouraging other women entrepreneurs are some of the more impactful initiatives that organizations need to actively look at,” he added.

The number of women on company boards has increased from 5% in 2012 to 13% in 2018 due to the mandate of having at least one woman on every company’s board of directors.

Bengaluru has the highest gender diversity at the workplace with 34% of women employees, followed by Mumbai (33%) and Pune (32%). The average gender diversity for tier-1 cities stands at 31% and for tier-2 and tier-3 cities at 25%, the study said.

The global MNCs are comprised of 25% women employees, while domestic MNCs employ 30% women and non-MNCs (31%), it added. 

Founded in 2002, Zinnov is a global management and strategy consulting firm. It has offices in Santa Clara, Houston, Bangalore, and Gurgaon.