Real estate sector faces stark leadership gap, only 1-2% of top roles occupied by women: Report
New Delhi, June 24
Only 1 to 2 per cent of women occupy leadership positions in the country's real estate sector, despite increasingly influencing housing demand, property ownership, and sustainability-led development.
A joint report by JLL and NAREDCO MAHI, titled "Building Inclusive Future: Empowering Women in India's Real Estate Transformation", revealed that women comprise 48.5 per cent of India's population, but only represent around 10 per cent of the 71 million workforce employed in the construction sector.
The findings showcased a major leadership gap at senior management levels. This gap exists even as the industry evolves through urbanisation, digital transformation, and green building practices. While women account for 40 to 45 per cent of entry-level positions in real estate-related professions, attrition rises significantly during mid-career stages.
Smita Patil, President, NAREDCO MAHI, said, "Women are no longer participants at the margins of the real estate sector; they are increasingly shaping its future as homebuyers, professionals, entrepreneurs and sustainability champions."
"However, the industry must now focus on building stronger pathways for leadership through mentorship, skilling, financial inclusion and equal opportunities," Patil added. "Greater participation of women is not only an inclusion imperative but also a business imperative for the future growth of Indian real estate."
According to the report, policy interventions like stamp duty concessions, home loan incentives, and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana encourage female property ownership. Yet, significant barriers continue to limit their progression into decision-making roles.
The study also noted that a majority of women in the informal construction workforce continue to work without adequate social security, childcare support, insurance coverage, or structured career advancement. On the other hand, women show a growing contribution to green building certification, ESG implementation, and PropTech innovation.
A Shankar, India Head - Government Advisory & Infrastructure Solutions, JLL India, stated, "Meaningful progress in the participation of women in real estate emerges not from isolated gestures but through accumulated actions: comprehensive training programs, structured career pathways, pay equity transparency, childcare support, and workplace cultures that recognises diversity."
"Enabling women's full participation in real estate transcends equity alone-- it represents a strategic pathway toward achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 goals and India's aspiration of becoming a $1 trillion economy," Shankar added.
To bridge this gap, the report recommended transparent pay structures, return-to-work programmes, stronger workplace safety mechanisms, and leadership development initiatives.
Unlocking this female potential remains critical to strengthening talent pipelines, improving governance standards, and supporting India's vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good that this conversation is happening. But let's be real—the construction site is a tough place. My cousin works in project management and she's constantly dealing with harassment and bias. Change has to start from the bottom, not just at boardroom levels. Kudos to NAREDCO MAHI for pushing this.
I am a female architect and have shifted to PropTech recently. The industry is male-dominated, but I have noticed that women are excelling in green building and ESG roles. Maybe that's the way forward—we bring empathy and sustainability thinking. But yes, the 1-2% leadership figure is shocking 😔
I'm in HR for a large developer. We struggle to retain women after 5-7 years. The problem isn't just hiring—it's the culture. Late-night meetings, site visits without safety measures, no mentorship. The report's recommendation on structured career pathways is what we need. Also, pay parity is non-negotiable.
Important data but I wish the report went deeper into the informal workforce—like the thousands of women doing construction labor without any safety or maternity benefits. That's where the real change is needed. PM Awas Yojana is good, but what about insurance and childcare for women building our homes? 🏗️
As someone who's been in real estate finance for 15 years, I can say the lack of women in senior roles hurts our decision-making. Women homebuyers are a huge segment now. How can we design homes for them if we don't have
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