Women remain under-represented in VC industry

BENGALURU: Women remain considerably under-represented in India’s enterprise capital (VC) industry, particularly in decision-making roles, regardless of rising conversations about range and inclusion. An evaluation of the funding groups at India’s most lively VC corporations, in phrases of quantity throughout years 2023 to 2025 to this point, reveals how stark the gender hole stays.
Among the 20 most lively VC buyers that TOI analysed, a number of corporations don’t have any ladies in any respect in their funding groups, together with Z47, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Nexus Venture Partners. Peak XV Partners has the very best absolute variety of ladies buyers, with 13 out of 44, whereas corporations corresponding to Blume Ventures (6 out of 23) and Accel India (5 out of 25) have comparatively higher illustration. However, corporations like Lightspeed Ventures (4 out of 16) and Elevation Capital (7 out of 33) nonetheless mirror the broader industry-wide problem — ladies are outnumbered at practically each main agency.
This lack of range in VC groups has penalties past illustration. “Peer networks play a huge role in hiring and decision-making in VC,” mentioned Ankita Vashistha, founder and managing accomplice at Arise Ventures. “Most senior hiring is based on referral. Investment committees and general partners are predominantly male, and unconscious biases can shape whom they hire and fund. This has a direct impact on the startup ecosystem, as male-dominated VC firms are often less likely to back women-led startups.”
Kanika Mayar, accomplice at Vertex Ventures, echoed this sentiment. “The downside isn’t simply on the high. We want extra ladies getting into the funding house in any respect ranges, so there’s a robust pipeline for management roles. Firms must be intentional about hiring and retaining ladies in VC. It’s not nearly numbers — it’s about constructing an ecosystem that actively helps numerous views.”
According to PitchBook, in the US, ladies made up 18.4% of funding decision-makers at VC corporations in 2023. In Europe, the state of affairs is starker, with solely 16% of funding companions being ladies.