The Quick Read
- The TradeFlock Women Leaders in India 2026 edition recognises ten professionals across business, healthcare, technology, HR, travel and social development.
- The honourees include founders and senior executives, as well as functional leaders in engineering, revenue, HR, corporate affairs, operations, and strategy.
- TradeFlock says selections considered leadership impact, innovation, strategic vision and governance, with nominations coming from individuals, colleagues, HR teams and organisations.
- The list is notable for showing leadership beyond the CEO title. It’s an important distinction at a time when women remain underrepresented at the highest levels of corporate India.
Ten women, ten different routes to leadership
Leadership lists can sometimes make success look remarkably uniform: founder, chief executive, boardroom, repeat.
The TradeFlock Women Leaders in India 2026 edition offers a somewhat broader picture.
Its ten honourees work across medical technology, employee wellness, housing finance, healthcare technology, consulting, corporate governance, capability centres, social development and travel. Their titles range from Engineering Manager and Assistant Vice President to Chief Revenue Officer, CHRO, Managing Director and co-founder. That variety is worth noticing.
Women do not reach positions of influence through one standard leadership pipeline. Some build organisations. Others build functions, teams, governance systems, revenue engines or operating models.
Who are the TradeFlock Women Leaders in India 2026?
- Sudeepthi Apsingekar, Engineering Manager, Senior Management at Medtronic India. She has nearly two decades of experience spanning healthcare, aerospace, automotive, banking and technology. TradeFlock highlights her work in quality systems, regulatory compliance and engineering leadership.
- Anu Bedi Salwan, Chief Revenue Officer at MantraCare, leads commercial strategy across employee wellness and enterprise solutions. She has experience in B2B sales, market expansion, and business team development.
- Archana Tarun Dave, Assistant Vice President – HR at Aavas Financiers, is recognised for work in HR business partnering, workforce strategy, talent development and mentoring across financial services.
- Asha Subramanian, CHRO at Marrow/DailyRounds, leads people strategy across talent development, employer branding and leadership capability in fast-growing technology businesses.
- Dr Bharati Banerjee, CEO and Co-Founder of Sambhav Consultants, combines entrepreneurship with work across strategy, organisational transformation and ESG-led business development.
- Chetna Sharan, MD – Strategy & Operations at Recoup Health, is recognised for more than two decades of experience in organisational leadership, business transformation, and operational strategy.
- Mallika Arora, Senior Vice President – Corporate Affairs at FIL Industries, works across corporate governance, regulatory strategy, organisational development and business expansion.
- Manu Bansal, Director at a global capability centre in India, brings experience in business strategy, governance, process improvement and large-scale operational transformation.
- Meenakshi Gupta, Co-Founder of Goonj, has spent more than two decades working on community-led development, livelihoods, disaster response and dignity-centred social impact.
- Shweta Singh, Travel Director at Baleno India Travels, brings more than 18 years of experience across corporate travel, MICE, cruise and marine travel, procurement and travel technology.
Leadership looks larger when we stop looking only at the corner office
There is a useful idea buried inside the composition of this list.
India’s conversation around women leaders understandably focuses heavily on CEOs and boards. The shortage there remains severe: Change in Content has previously reported that women hold only around 5% of MD and CEO positions among India’s NSE main-board-listed companies. (Women CEOs in India)
But leadership pipelines are built much earlier.
A woman leading engineering quality, HR strategy, corporate affairs, revenue or operations is already occupying a role from which enterprise decisions are shaped. Recognition at these stages matters because today’s functional leader may become tomorrow’s business head, CEO or board member.
That is also why initiatives such as Walk to the Board have focused on visibility, networks and board readiness rather than waiting for leadership representation to repair itself at the top.
TradeFlock’s list does not resolve India’s leadership gap. It does, however, show something worth celebrating: the pool of women doing consequential work across Indian organisations is wider than the small number who currently occupy the most visible titles.
The Change: Make achievement easier to see
Recognition lists are not substitutes for promotions, succession plans, equitable pay or access to decision-making power.
They can still serve a purpose. They put names beside work. And they show younger professionals that leadership can begin in engineering, HR, operations, revenue, governance, healthcare or social impact. And they make visible women whose careers might otherwise remain known mainly within their organisations or industries.
India still needs many more women reaching the very top of business. Recent Change in Content analysis has shown that women’s leadership gains can slow or even retreat when organisations fail to convert ambition into appointments. (Women Leadership in Corporate India)
Lists such as TradeFlock’s offer the more encouraging side of that picture.
The talent is already working. The next task is making sure more of it keeps moving upwards.
Editorial Note
This news report is based primarily on TradeFlock’s official Women Leaders in India 2026 edition and its published description of the honourees and selection process. Recognition details and professional descriptions come from TradeFlock. We have not independently evaluated or ranked them. Inclusion in this article does not constitute an endorsement by Change in Content of the honourees, their organisations or the recognition programme.
Source: TradeFlock: Women Leaders in India 2026
