Venture Capital's Gender Divide: Women Scarce in India's Investment Leadership

• Fewer than 10% of decision-makers in Indian VC firms are women; only 2-3% are founding partners with capital control.
• Women typically require 15-20 years of experience for senior PE/VC roles, nearly double that of male peers.
• Many of India's 20 most active VC firms, including Z47 and Nexus Venture Partners, have no women investors.
• The disparity stems from historical male-dominated financial sectors, unconscious bias, and structural issues like career interruptions and reliance on male-dominated networks.
• Addressing the gap requires clear promotion criteria, mixed-gender committees, flexible work, and explicit diversity targets to rebuild the talent pipeline.