Women underrepresented on boards despite compliance, while some place family members as a form of 'token', Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Companies Act of 2013 mandates that listed companies exceeding a certain financial threshold must appoint at least one female director.
• Among Nifty 50 companies, 17 have only one female director, while ONGC currently has none.
• Women constitute approximately 21% of board members in Nifty 50 companies, totaling 107 out of 517 board positions.
• Globally, women hold 28.3% of board seats in publicly listed large- and mid-cap companies as of 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The Women’s Reservation Adhiniyam (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), passed in 2023, aims to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and Delhi.
• Some companies appoint female directors merely for compliance, sometimes selecting family members, rather than focusing on genuine diversity and inclusion.
• Eternal and Apollo Hospitals lead among Nifty 50 companies with 50% female representation on their boards.
• Other Nifty 50 companies with over 33% female board representation include TCS, Hindustan Unilever, and Wipro.
• McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report indicates that while most companies prioritize diversity, commitment to women's advancement is lower, especially for women of color.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nifty 50: A benchmark index representing the top 50 companies listed on the National Stock Exchange of India.
• Corporate Governance: The system of rules, practices, and processes by which a company is directed and controlled.
• Women’s Reservation Adhiniyam: Indian legislation reserving seats for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and Delhi.