In India’s thriving startup landscape, women entrepreneurs have transformed their startup journeys into successful ventures. According to the Women in India’s Startup Ecosystem Report (WISER), female-led startups in India have grown to 18% over the past five years. In 2017, India had approximately 6,000 startups, with 10% led by women. By 2022, the number of startups had increased to 80,000, and the proportion of women-led startups had risen to 18%. The report also revealed that the number of unicorns in India increased from 13 in 2017 to 105 in 2022, and the percentage of women-led unicorn startups grew from 8% to 17%.
The WISER report included insights from over 200 startups, including well-known names like Urban Company, Meesho, and Zomato. In terms of funding, the report disclosed that venture capital investments in Indian startups totaled $5.9 billion in 2017, with 11% going to women-led startups. By 2022, venture capital funding had surged to $21.9 billion, and the share of funding allocated to women-led startups had risen to 20%.
Exciting news! We’re now on WhatsApp Channels too. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest insights in the startup ecosystem! Click here!
The report pointed out that the growth of women in leadership roles within startups outpaces that of traditional corporate firms. In startups, 32% of managerial positions are held by women, compared to 21% in corporate organizations. This gap widens at the CXO level, with only 5% of women in corporate leadership positions versus 18% in startups. Furthermore, startups founded by women have 2.5 times more women in senior roles compared to those founded by men. However, there is still work to be done, as the report noted that after 10 years in their careers, 8 out of 10 men in startups hold director-level positions or higher, while only 5 out of 10 women achieve the same level of leadership.
