Indian women earn more at managerial positions, but very few get to climb the corporate ladder

India’s gender pay gap reverses among managers, with women earning more per hour than men. But women account for just 11.9% of managerial positions. Data on career progression and professional experience reveals further hurdles women face in reaching senior leadership roles.

The International Labour Organization’s Women in Business and Management report reveals a paradoxical story about India’s gender pay gap. Men earn nearly a fifth more per hour than women across all employees, placing India among the countries with the widest disparities. Yet among managers, the trend reverses: women earn more than men on average. But there is a catch: women account for just 11.9% of India's managers, one of the lowest shares globally. And getting into management is only part of the challenge.

Limited victory

India’s gender wage gap looks very different depending on the level of employment. Among all employees, men earn 19.5% more per hour than women, placing India among the countries with the widest gender pay gaps globally, the seventh-highest among the 50 countries with data available up to at least 2024, and highest among nine G20 members. But among managers, the gap reverses: women earn 4.7% more per hour than men, also putting India among the countries with the largest gaps in women’s favour.

Only 10 of the 50 countries show women managers out-earning men. In most others, the pattern runs the other way: in the US, for instance, the gap widens from 19.2% overall to 24.3% among managers. But this reversal describes only the women who reach management, not how many get there.

Beneath the surface

Women’s share of managerial jobs tells the other half of the story. In India, just 11.9% of managers are women, the third-lowest among 89 countries with data, ahead of only Pakistan (9.6%) and Bangladesh (7.2%). The share has declined in recent years. In 2018, women held 14.3% of senior- and mid-level management positions in India. This rose to 17.3% in 2020 before falling in subsequent years, standing at 11.9% in 2025. Moreover, the distance from the rest of the world is stark: women hold 44.1% of managerial jobs in the US and 44.7% in Sweden, and five countries, including Panama and Trinidad and Tobago, have reached 50% or more.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025 report offers some explanation. Only 40% of Indian women aged 15 and above participate in the labour force, compared with 79% of men. While female participation has risen in recent years, the gains are largely driven by rural areas and self-employment work.

Leaky pipeline

The career progression gap is also visible within organisations. Aima–KPMG's Women Leadership in Corporate India 2026 report finds that in 30% of organizations, fewer than 10% of long-serving women employees progressed to leadership roles. Another 36% of organizations reported that between 10% and 30% of such employees made the transition. The pattern is markedly different for men: only 29% of organisations reported that fewer than 30% of their long-serving male employees progressed to leadership, compared with 66% for women. At the other end, 33% of organisations said more than half of their long-serving male employees advanced to leadership, against just 10% for women.

One reason for the stall is the experience women get on the way up. Aon’s survey of over 1,500 leaders across 30 cities finds that 68% of women have held P&L roles, against 91% of men. In sales, the gap is wider: 45% of women, against 90% of men.

These are the jobs where managers carry targets, win revenue and answer for results, and the ILO calls such roles the usual routes to top jobs. The pattern reverses in enabling functions such as HR, finance and administration, which support the business rather than run it. Here 49% of women have worked, against 37% of men. These roles matter, but they are less likely to put someone in line for a CEO or business-head job. ILO’s global data shows the same split. Women hold 62.5% of senior management roles in human resources and 55.4% in finance and administration, but only 19.8% in profit and loss and 26.3% in R&D. India fits that pattern.

About the Author

Rupanjal Chauhan is a data journalist at Mint, where she contributes to the Plain Facts and Data Bites sections, focusing on translating complex datasets into clear, insightful, and engaging narratives for a wide audience. Her work focuses on using data to explain policy, economic, and social trends in a clear and accessible way.<br><br>At Mint, her work spans public finances, trade, geopolitics, and employment, often breaking down large datasets into sharp, evidence-backed stories. Her approach focuses on careful data analysis and clear storytelling, ensuring that each piece not only informs but also enables readers to better understand the forces shaping India’s economy and society.<br><br>Rupanjal holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, where she specialised in data-driven storytelling and digital journalism. She also has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi. Her work is guided by a focus on simplifying complex data without losing nuance, with an emphasis on accuracy, transparency, and context, helping readers better understand the patterns and trends behind the numbers.