Factbox: Breaking the glass ceiling: female CEOs and managing directors in India Inc

HDFC Life Insurance

11/07/2025 09:09

July 11 (Reuters) - Hindustan Unilever HLL.NS on Thursday appointed Priya Nair, president of parent Unilever's beauty and wellbeing division, as its managing director and CEO, making her one of the few women to lead a major Indian company.

Women hold less than 20% of C-suite positions in India, a sharp drop from entry-level representation, according to a McKinsey report published earlier this year, which cited low recruitment, high attrition, and limited advancement opportunities as key barriers.

Here is a list of female CEOs and managing directors at big, listed Indian companies:

Company
Name
Title
Start of tenure
Hindustan Unilever HLL.NS
Priya Nair
CEO and managing
director
August 2025
Colgate-Palmolive India COLG.NS
Prabha Narasimhan
CEO and managing
director
September 2022
HDFC Life Insurance HDFL.NS
Vibha Padalkar
CEO and managing
director
September 2018
Nykaa FSNE.NS
Falguni Nayar
CEO and founder
April 2012
Welspun Living WLSP.NS
Dipali Goenka
CEO and managing
director
April 2023
Jindal Saw JIND.NS
Sminu Jindal
Managing director
February 2001
Apollo Hospitals APLH.NS
Suneeta Reddy
Managing director
July 2014
Apollo Hospitals APLH.NS
Sangita Reddy
Joint managing director
July 2014
Brigade Enterprises BRIG.NS
Pavitra Shankar
Managing director
October 2022
Sundram Fasteners SNFS.NS
Arathi Krishna
Managing director
April 2018
Sundram Fasteners SNFS.NS
Arundathi Krishna
Joint managing director
April 2018

  Note: This non-exhaustive compilation includes only publicly listed companies in India and excludes subsidiaries of global firms operating in the country.

 (Compiled by Praveen Paramasivam in Chennai; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)

 ((Praveen.Paramasivam@thomsonreuters.com; +91 867-525-3569;))