As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, conversations around women’s leadership are becoming more meaningful than ever. Across industries—from entrepreneurship and venture capital to marketing, architecture, and law—women are not only participating but actively shaping the future of business and innovation.
The voices of women leaders highlight an important truth: progress is happening, but the journey toward equal access, opportunity, and influence is still ongoing. Their experiences, insights, and advice offer a powerful reflection of how women are redefining leadership across sectors.
Expanding Access and Opportunity in Entrepreneurship
For many women entrepreneurs, the conversation around leadership is closely tied to access—access to capital, decision-making authority, and the opportunity to build at scale.
Deval Delivala, Founder and CEO of Walkabout Active Agers Pvt. Ltd., believes the conversation around women in leadership needs to shift from confidence-building narratives to real access to power and capital.
“The ability to build, take risks and make tough calls is not wired differently in women. Yet somewhere along the way, we decided that what women need is another self-help book on confidence or a workshop on executive presence and strategic thinking. Meanwhile, the real levers of power, access to capital, financial decision-making, the ability to write cheques and back ideas, remain out of reach. The gap was never about capability. It was always about access. When women get that access, the impact speaks for itself. They bring fresh perspectives to innovation, build businesses that solve problems others overlook and create workplaces where more people thrive. The real shift will come not when we stop questioning whether women can lead, but when we stop gatekeeping the resources that let them. I see this change happening, but we have a long way to go.”
Echoing similar sentiments about women’s growing influence in business, Alka Ladhani, Owner at Taj Agra, highlights how women are increasingly shaping the direction of enterprises across industries.
“Women today are not just participating in business — they are shaping its future with vision, resilience, and empathy. Across industries, we are witnessing women step into leadership roles, challenge conventions, and create enterprises that are both innovative and purpose-driven. What makes this transformation powerful is that women leaders often bring a unique balance of strategic thinking, collaboration and emotional intelligence to the workplace. In hospitality and entrepreneurship, I have seen how diverse perspectives enrich decision-making and help build more inclusive and dynamic organizations.
The evolving role of women in business is not just about representation; it is about influence, impact and the ability to inspire the next generation of leaders. India today is witnessing a remarkable shift where more women are choosing to lead, create, and innovate. As this momentum grows, it is equally important that organizations foster environments where women feel empowered to express ideas, take risks and grow professionally. When women lead with confidence and authenticity, they not only build successful businesses but also contribute to shaping a more progressive and balanced economy.”
In industries that have historically been male-dominated, women entrepreneurs often face additional challenges. Nikita Harisinghani, Co-Founder of Chrome Hospitality, reflects on navigating these perceptions while building a business.
“Hospitality has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, and one of the biggest challenges as a woman entrepreneur is often perception. Women are welcomed creatively, but when it comes to decisions around capital, expansion strategy or negotiations, you sometimes find yourself having to prove your credibility twice over. Over the years, I’ve learnt that the most powerful way to navigate this is through clarity and competence. When you truly understand your business, from unit economics to the guest experience, you’re able to lead with confidence and conviction.
My journey has taught me that resilience, strong teams, and an unwavering commitment to quality make all the difference. To aspiring female entrepreneurs, I would say: trust your instincts, stay curious, and don’t hesitate to claim space at the table, because the industry is richer when more women shape its future.”
Women Investors Driving a More Inclusive Startup Ecosystem
Beyond entrepreneurship, women are also playing a growing role in venture capital and investment, helping shape the next generation of startups.
Pearl Agarwal, Founder and Managing Director of Eximius Ventures, observes that women founders and investors are increasingly becoming visible leaders in the startup ecosystem.
“Unlike five years ago, today you see fantastic women in leadership who are coming out and building the next generation of companies. Whether it is Priyanka Gill building in the lab-grown diamond space, or Pronto competing with Snabbit head-to-head, women are taking centre stage in what is getting built for the next generation. With more women investors coming in, it’s providing a platform for women entrepreneurs. They are becoming an inspiration for more women to come out and build, while also gaining better access to funding than they would have otherwise.”
Similarly, Anuradha Aggarwal, Co-Founder of Dexter Capital Advisors, notes that the growing participation of women as both founders and investors is enriching the Indian startup ecosystem.
“It is heartwarming to see so many women participating as both investors and founders, enriching and brightening the Indian startup ecosystem. Today, we even have communities dedicated specifically to women founders and investors, and these networks are thriving. I believe women bring a lot to the table and add a unique perspective to the ecosystem. Personally, I see a lot of value in encouraging more women to step forward as founders and investors.”
Lumani Shah, Principal at 100Unicorns, also highlights how diversity in venture capital leads to stronger investment outcomes while pointing to emerging sectors such as deep tech and climate tech.
“Sector-focused investing is becoming more pronounced, with strong momentum in areas such as DeepTech and Sustainability/Climate. These sectors are benefiting from technological breakthroughs, stronger R&D ecosystems around leading academic institutions and supportive policy frameworks. DeepTech is emerging as a key investment theme in India, particularly across AI infrastructure, robotics, spacetech, semiconductor design, and advanced manufacturing.
At the same time, climate-tech is gaining momentum as India accelerates its energy transition and net-zero goals, with growing innovation across the EV ecosystem, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure. Women investors are bringing more diversity of perspective to venture capital, which is crucial in identifying underserved markets and innovative solutions. Increased participation of women in investment decision-making is helping broaden the lens through which opportunities are evaluated.
Going forward, the need of the hour is to build a stronger pipeline of women across the investment ecosystem—from analyst and associate roles to leadership positions in venture funds. Greater representation of women in both capital and entrepreneurship will be key to driving more inclusive innovation and sustainable startup growth in India.”
Women Leaders Driving Change Across Corporate Roles
In marketing and corporate leadership roles, women are increasingly shaping brand narratives, business strategy, and workplace culture.
Preeti Singh, Assistant Marketing Manager at AP Group, reflects on the strength and solidarity that women bring to professional environments.
“Today, women are breaking barriers, leading change, and supporting one another in ways that are truly inspiring. While every woman faces her own challenges, the determination to rise above them and continue striving for more is what defines true strength. This Women’s Day, I hope every woman continues to dream boldly, believe in her potential, and keep pushing boundaries—because when women uplift each other, the possibilities are limitless.”
For Roli Shrivastava, VP Marketing at Hocco, confidence and self-belief have been important lessons in her professional journey.
“I’ve often felt that as women, we tend to question ourselves far more than we should. If there’s one thing I’ve learned along the way, it’s that we need to give ourselves more credit for how much we handle, how much we grow, and how much we contribute every single day. In my own 14-year professional journey, I’ve seen encouraging shifts in corporate spaces, with more women stepping into leadership roles and shaping conversations in meaningful ways.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen when women keep showing up with conviction and authenticity. I also recognise how fortunate I’ve been to work with leaders who trusted my voice and gave me the opportunity to grow. And equally, the unwavering understanding and support of my family has made every decision easier to stand by.”
Leadership Beyond Industries
Women leaders across other professions also emphasize the importance of purpose-driven leadership and preparation.
Ar. Chandrika Sahay, Founder and Principal Architect at Meraki Dezine, believes leadership is about shaping spaces and conversations with conviction.
“My journey in architecture has been guided by passion, purpose, and people—creating spaces that connect deeply with their users while staying responsible to the environment. Leadership has shown me that it’s not about proving women belong in the room; it’s about shaping the room with clarity, creativity, and conviction.”
In the legal world, Mary Mayiladumpara, General Counsel at Zoho, points out that credibility is built through consistent preparation and practice.
“Confidence in strategic advice is not a personality trait; it is a by-product of preparation. And preparation is not a one-time act, rather it is consistent practice. For women, that is empowering, because those small reps compound into judgement and credibility over time.”
Looking Ahead
Taken together, these voices reflect a larger shift underway across India’s professional landscape. Women are founding companies, leading investment decisions, shaping marketing strategies, designing sustainable spaces, and advising on critical legal matters.
While challenges remain, the increasing presence of women in leadership positions is steadily transforming industries. As access to capital, networks, and opportunities continues to expand, the impact of women leaders will only grow stronger—shaping a more inclusive and dynamic future for business and innovation.
By: Sandhya Bharti
