MAM
Women’s job postings in India rise 19 per cent YoY
Foundit report shows gains in senior roles, Tier-2 cities and higher salary bands in 2026.
MUMBAI: Women’s representation in India’s job market just turned up the volume because when postings grow 19 per cent in a year, the glass ceiling starts sounding more like a glass amplifier. Women’s share of job postings across India climbed 19 per cent year-on-year between February 2025 and February 2026, according to the Women in the Indian Workforce 2026 report released by Foundit. The analysis highlights a meaningful shift: opportunities for women are expanding beyond entry-level roles into senior positions, higher salary brackets, emerging technology functions and Tier-2 markets.
Foundit VP for marketing Anupama Bhimrajka said, “Opportunities are expanding beyond entry-level roles into senior positions, higher salary brackets, and growing talent hubs across Tier-2 cities. While a large share of openings still fall below Rs 10 LPA, the broader trend indicates that access to diverse and higher-value roles for women is steadily improving.”
Key shifts include:
- Seniority: Women’s hiring share rose in higher experience bands 7–10 years (11 per cent to 14 per cent), 11–15 years (2 per cent to 4 per cent), and 15+ years (1 per cent to 3 per cent).
- Geography: Tier-2 and Tier-3 locations now account for 44 per cent of women-represented postings (up from 41 per cent), with Tier-2 women-preferred postings growing 22 per cent YoY. Fast-growing hubs include Jaipur, Coimbatore, Indore and Kochi.
- City share: Delhi/NCR leads (21 per cent), followed by Bengaluru (16 per cent), Mumbai (14 per cent), Pune (11 per cent), Hyderabad (10 per cent) and Chennai (9 per cent).
- Functions: Representation increased in IT (32 per cent to 34 per cent), Data & Analytics (7 per cent to 10 per cent), Sales & Business Development (15 per cent to 16 per cent), and Marketing & Communications (14 per cent to 16 per cent). Customer Service/BPO dipped from 12 per cent to 10 per cent, and Human Resources from 21 per cent to 20 per cent.
- Salaries: Postings below Rs 10 LPA fell from 79 per cent to 74 per cent, while Rs 11–25 LPA rose from 11 per cent to 16 per cent and Rs 25 plus LPA from 8 per cent to 10 per cent. Startups show an even stronger tilt toward higher bands (Rs 11–25 LPA at 24 per cent, Rs 25 plus LPA at 15 per cent).
- Work models: Return-to-office mandates grew only 18 per cent in 2026 (down from 55 per cent in 2025), while hybrid roles rose 9 per cent and remote opportunities increased 6 per cent.
The report points to a narrowing demand-supply gap in emerging tech roles (women’s participation up from 26 per cent to 31 per cent), signalling a more inclusive ecosystem ahead.
In a job market that’s finally turning the dial toward balance, the numbers whisper a clear message: Indian workplaces aren’t just opening doors for women, they’re starting to widen the corridors.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
