From borders to boardrooms, women are rewriting India's leadership story
During the Indian armed forces' media briefings on Operation Sindoor, two faces stood out: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Both took charge with authority, exuding composure and allaying fears. From the battlefield to the boardroom, Indian women are taking charge, and this change did not happen overnight.CHANGING GUARDIndia Today's Data Intelligence Unit analysed the number of women in uniform and observed a steady change. In police forces across India, women comprise just under 10 per cent of total personnel — a jump from the past decades, but still far from ideal. Women personnel are more visible in civil policing roles (15 per cent), with fewer in elite units like the National Security Guard (0.7 per cent).advertisement
Women's representation in the Indian Army increased from 3.8 per cent in 2020 to 4.1 per cent in 2024. In the Air Force, it has remained at around 13.4 per cent, while it has grown in the Navy from 5.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent.STARTUP SURGEWomen are taking leadership roles in businesses head-on, steadily claiming spaces once dominated by men across startups. The number of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade-recognised startups with at least one woman director jumped from just 36 per cent in 2017 to 51 per cent in 2024. States like Maharashtra (14,284), Delhi (8,012), and Karnataka (8,000) have emerged as hubs of female entrepreneurship.This change is also visible in managerial positions. While men continue to hold the larger share of leadership roles in the last decade, the presence of women has been growing steadily. From 2017 to 2025, the number of women in boardrooms doubled, from 4.5 lakh to 9.1 lakh, and their representation in senior management grew from 23,685 to 38,745. Similarly, in other management roles, women increased from 4.3 lakh to 8.8 lakh in 2025. However, women's overall share has increased only slightly in all the roles.LAW & GENDERadvertisementIt is crucial to have women representation in the justice system. As per the data, out of the total (1,122) approved judicial positions for Supreme and High Courts in India till December 2024, only six per cent (2) and 14 per cent (106) are held by women in the Supreme Court and High Courts, respectively. However, in civil service, nearly every fourth selected candidate is a woman.As per 2021 data, 27 per cent of qualified candidates were women. This is a considerable jump compared to the numbers a decade ago, when it was just 21 per cent.These figures tell a story not just of participation but of persistence. Each increase in women's representation is a glass ceiling broken through perseverance and policy. The presence of two women defence officers as spokespersons for Operation Sindoor shows how far we've come.Tune InTrending Reel
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