Our startup ecosystem ranks third globally. Our fintech and adtech sectors are rewriting the rules of commerce. And yet, across India’s technology landscape, not even 1 out of 5 senior leaders is a woman. At the founding and funding level, the numbers are even more sobering. 

When I joined what was then Admitad India in 2016, the partner marketing industry in India was barely a conversation. There was no playbook, no established ecosystem, and very few women in the room — literally or figuratively. However, there was an extraordinary opportunity: to build something from the ground up in a country on the verge of a digital transformation that the world had never quite seen before. 

Almost a decade later, Mitgo — as the company is now known — has grown into a recognised name across APAC, with a formidable client base and a partner ecosystem that continues to expand. I am proud of what the team has built. But the question I find myself returning to, again and again, is not about business metrics. It is about the leaders who never got the chance to build anything at all — because the infrastructure for their success was never put in place. 

The Gap We Don't Talk About Enough 

India is home to one of the most vibrant digital economies in the world. Our startup ecosystem ranks third globally. Our fintech and adtech sectors are rewriting the rules of commerce. And yet, across India's technology landscape, not even 1 out of 5 senior leaders is a woman. At the founding and funding level, the numbers are even more sobering. 

This is not merely a diversity statistic. It is a strategic miscalculation. The consumers driving India's next wave of digital adoption — rural women, first-generation smartphone users, homemakers entering the formal economy — are precisely the demographic that is underrepresented in the rooms where product decisions are made. When leadership does not reflect the market it serves, the market pays the price. 

I have seen this play out in partner marketing, where understanding the nuances of consumer behaviour — across geographies, languages, and aspirations — is the difference between a campaign that converts and one that simply exists. Diverse leadership teams ask better questions. They catch blind spots that homogeneous ones miss. This is not a philosophy; it is a competitive strategy. 

What Actually Changes Things 

Over the years, I have been fortunate to receive recognition from platforms including Businessworld’s 40 Under 40, CMO Asia's 50 Most Influential Digital Marketing Leaders, and the World Women Leadership Congress. I am grateful for each of these. But I am acutely aware that recognition, while meaningful, is not the same as systemic change. 

What actually moves the needle is sponsorship — not mentorship. Mentorship gives advice; sponsorship puts your name in the room when you are not there. As senior leaders, the most valuable thing we can do is actively nominate women for stretch assignments, high-visibility projects, board conversations, and funding opportunities — with the same instinctive confidence we extend to our male colleagues. 

It also means redesigning the infrastructure of opportunity. Flexible working models are not a concession — they are a talent retention strategy. Transparent promotion criteria are not political correctness — they are good governance. Inclusive hiring panels are not box-ticking — they are the beginning of cultures where the best ideas win, regardless of who delivers them. 

A Vision of ‘Bring the Change’ 

I have long held the belief that a truly creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. It is a principle that has shaped how I approach leadership — less about competition, more about contribution; less about defending territory, more about expanding what is possible. 

India's digital economy is at an inflection point. The platforms are built; the infrastructure is in place. The next decade will be defined not by technology alone, but by the wisdom of those who wield it. And that wisdom must draw from the full breadth of India's talent — including the millions of women who have the capability, the drive, and the vision to lead. 

We do not need more seats at the table. We need leaders willing to build a bigger table altogether. 

The author is Managing Director — APAC & India, Mitgo (formerly Admitad). Views expressed are personal.