2026年从管道到领导力-印度产品生态中的女性创新者研究报告

Table ofC o n t e n t s •Introduction•ObjectivesandResearchMethodology•KeyTrends Over the last few years, women’s participation in India’s technology workforce has grown steadily. Flexible work models, digitallearning, and the expansion of thestartup ecosystem into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities have collectively opened new doors. Product roles—which sit at the intersection of technology, business, and user Introduction experience—are particularly well suited to diverse skill sets. They reward systems thinking, communication, and customer empathy, qualities that many womennaturally bring to the table.Today, women are not only leading engineering or design teams but also driving product roadmaps, setting customer strategies,and Behind the numbers lies a complex story of ambition, bias, and balancing acts. Women in product roles often experience steadyearly growth but encounter steepbarriers as they move closer to leadership. These drop-offs are driven by several factors which results in shrinking leadershippipeline. Talented women exit mid-career, Tocurbthistrendmanyorganizationshavestartedtorethinkwhatinclusiontrulymeanswithinproductteams.Emergingbestpracticessuchasstructuredmentorshipandsponsorship,returnshipandupskillinginitiatives,flexibleworkstructures,data-drivenbiasaudits,communitiesandpeergroups;reflectashiftfrompolicy-based This report explores the evolving participation of women across India’s product ecosystem. It seeks to understand the currentstate of inclusion, uncover the hidden challenges, and identify where drop-offs occur and why. It alsoexamines how AI and automation are transforming product management processes and what this means for women’s participation and leadership. Finally, it highlights best practices and success stories that demonstrate what truly works Objective andResearchMethodology Objective Companies with diverse leadership teams achieve innovation revenues at 19 percentage points higher andEBIT margins 9 percentage points above their less diverse counterparts-This highlights having more •Understand the level of women participation across the product ecosystem in India•Highlight unseen challenges•Identify critical drop-off points•AI in Product Management Processes: Impact on women participation•Cover best practices followed across organizations Research Methodology The report is primarily based on the survey of women working across product roles, with the insights beingvalidated through consultations with industry leaders. Overall, the methodology consists of three key •Survey of Women in Products across Levels •A structured survey was conducted with 100+ women in products across roles including products,design, technical and management roles•Primary Interactions with Industry Leaders•In-depth, structured interviews were conducted with 10+ leaders across the product ecosystem, with KEY TRENDS Women in Products–A Growing Tribe Women in Tech in India–The Current Landscape 01 ~60%of the respondents highlighted theirorganisation have 25-35% share of women 50%+ Cite Lack of Role Models/Mentors as the Biggest Struggle in TheirJourney Entry barriers for some, easy for others Easy Start •Strong Education and Domain Foundations•Natural Career Progression•Relevant Certifications and Technical Skills•Inclusive Organisational Cultures Despite an easy start, many womennoted that sustaining growthrequires deeper domain knowledge,adaptability, and customer Difficult Start •Interestingly, women in products show mixed experiences withrespect to inclusion in decision making with 52% of therespondents highlighting they were never excluded from keyproduct decisions, while 35% said they were often excluded from •Insufficient compensation and unclear growth path wassighted as other key struggles by over 30% of the •Non-Inclusive Gender Representation and Bias•Limited Opportunities•Lack of Skills and Awareness•Career Progression Barriers–Lateral movement often •Interestingly only27%highlighted gender bias 10-Year Itch-The Critical Drop-Off Point for Majority Dropouts The Dropouts •10+ years of experience when most women are at managerial level, is the snooze button for ~60% of the drop offs•Lack of career growth and poor work life balance are the key reasons for ~35% of women who drop off from product roles, followedby toxic workplace highlighted by 32% of the respondents The Sailors •Cite supportive leadership/ mentors and policies, flexibility work options, family backing, focus on upskilling and resilience as the key drivers 60%+ Value Inclusive Leadership and Bias-Free Evaluation as the Key RetainingMechanisms 44%of women highlighted lack of mentors, with majoritysighting lack of formal mentorship programs and difficulty inapproaching potential mentors and sponsors, as the key Workplace bias driven by non-inclusive leadership, lack of informalnetworks, and career breaks such as maternity or family care–mostcommon reasons cited by respondents who feel lack of equ