Women Now Hold 20% of Leadership Roles: 2025 Avtar & Seramount BCWI, MICI, BCESG Study Finds
Chennai, September 25, 2025: Avtar, India’s leading inclusion and workplace culture consultancy, has announced the findings of the 10th edition of the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI). This year, 125 companies made the list, with women’s leadership representation reaching 20%—a significant rise from 13% in 2016. Overall, women make up 35.7% of the workforce in these companies. The Professional Services and ITES sectors lead in gender diversity, while Pharma, FMCG, and Manufacturing are intensifying inclusion efforts.
 |
| Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar |
The top reason for both women and men leaving their jobs remains better opportunities, with health and well-being emerging as a key factor for women.
This year, BCWI saw 365 applications from companies across diverse sectors including IT, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail, and more. The 2025 Avtar & Seramount Top 10 Best Companies for Women in India: Accenture, AXA XL, Cairn Oil & Gas Vedanta, EY, KPMG, Mastercard, Optum, P&G, Tech Mahindra, and Wipro.
Avtar also released the 7th edition of the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI), highlighting efforts toward inclusion of PwDs, LGBTQ+ individuals, generational and cultural diversity. In 2025, 100% of featured companies focus on PwD inclusion (up from 58% in 2019), and 95% on LGBTQ+ inclusion (up from 23%). These companies collectively employ 9,687 persons with disabilities.
2025 Champions of Inclusion: Accenture, Allianz, AXA XL, Encore, EY, IBM, KPMG, Mastercard, Omega Healthcare, UST.
For the first time, Avtar also unveiled the Top 10 Best Companies for ESG, under the BCESG framework. Notably, 90% have implemented energy efficiency strategies, 80% use solar power, and 100% have formal occupational safety policies.
Top 10 ESG Companies (2025): CGI, Eaton, EPAM, GRP, Infosys, Lear, Solenis, Tata Communications, UST, Wipro.
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar, praised the progress, noting the rise in Indian companies on the list—from 25% in 2021 to 40% in 2025. Subha Barry, President of Seramount, added, “This recognition reflects real change—empowering women, LGBTQ+ employees, PwDs, and diverse talent across generations.”
****
