StartupTN Reports Women Lead 50.8% of Tamil Nadu Startups

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Tamil Nadu has recorded progress in women's entrepreneurship, with women leading 50.8% of the State's more than 16,000 registered startups. The development highlights the growing participation of women in business and innovation while bringing attention to the need for stronger infrastructure, equal opportunities, and inclusive workplaces.

Singai G. Ramachandran, Chairman of StartupTN, shared these figures at the Best of Best (BoB) Conference and Awards 2026, held in Chennai on Tuesday. Addressing industry leaders, he noted the need to build conducive infrastructure to support women to become entrepreneurs and leaders in various industries.

Ramachandran commented on gender equality in the workplace, and said there should be more than just a matter of recruiting women to the industry. He emphasized the organisation must offer the facilities and assistance necessary for women to achieve success in their careers. “Good infrastructure is essential for even great talent.

“Even exceptional talent needs the right infrastructure. Are we really planning infrastructure for women, rather than just hiring them? We are still in a mindset that certain roles are meant for a particular gender. This has to change,” he said.

His remarks highlighted the need to address gender-based assumptions and workplace barriers while ensuring women have equal access to professional opportunities and leadership roles.

Key Highlights

• Women lead 50.8% of Tamil Nadu's 16,000-plus registered startups
• StartupTN chairman stresses infrastructure and equal opportunities for women
• New initiative promotes inclusive workplace cultures through leadership collaboration

The conference also witnessed the launch of the Circle of Inclusive Cultures (CIC), an initiative by Avtar Career Creators Limited and Seramount. It aims to encourage organisations to exchange practical insights and strengthen workplace diversity and inclusion practices.

Saundarya Rajesh, Managing Director of Avtar Career Creators Limited, said the initiative would extend the impact of existing inclusion benchmarking studies by encouraging continuous collaboration among organisations.

,” she said. “For over a decade, our benchmarking studies have helped organisations understand where they stand on inclusion and learn from those setting higher standards. The Circle of Inclusive Cultures complements this work by taking that learning further, creating opportunities for organisations to exchange practical insights throughout the year

CIC will organize specific peer-learning circles for CEOs, chief human resources officers, inclusion leaders and other stakeholders to share and discuss what works in the workplace when it comes to workplace inclusion.

R. Seshasayee, Chairman of Asian Paints, also spoke about his book, The Grammar of Silence: Five Centuries. Three Women. Towards Liberation. But he noted, “Our clothes have evolved but patriarchy hasn't.” The statement emphasized the persistence of traditional gender roles in shaping women's opportunities in the face of social and cultural transformation.

The annual BoB Conference and Awards celebrates organisations' efforts to accelerate women's progress, workplace inclusion and environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures. It was an innovative benchmark, Best Companies for Workplace Wellness, that it unveiled this year, honouring companies that focus on employees' wellness.

The event also honoured the Male Ally Legacy Award for male leaders who are championing gender inclusive workplaces. Sudhakar Dokare, Regional Director of Tata Starbucks Private Limited, received this year's award. Jaison Thomas, Managing Director–India of Encore Capital Group Inc., and Sibasish Guha, Head of Department–Digital Office at HDFC ERGO, were recognised as the jury's choice awardees.