From Board Rooms to a Seat on the Board

By: Sarina Menezes, Senior Vice President – Marketing & Corporate Communications, Oberoi Realty

With over 3 decades of experience, Sarina Menezes is a brand marketer who has a track record of transformation within marketing efforts, high-performance team building, and developing compelling customer experiences. Her expertise lies in luxury, lifestyle and real estate which includes digital brand building and storytelling; as well as creating opportunities for growth through building relationships with customers, employees and other stakeholders.

Read thearticle to get actionable information on how Indian women leaders are shifting the focus of brand-building to boardrooms and influence the future of corporate India.

The Indian economy today is running on full throttle. With a record number of IPOs in the last two years, this yearand more in the pipeline, the entrepreneurial spirit of young India is palpable. This surge in business activity heralds a moment of expansion and transformation, when companies are scaling, formalising governance structures, and seeking credible, diverse leadership to strengthen investor confidence.

The Companies Act 2013 has been instrumental infostering gender diversity by mandating at least one woman on every board. A recent study titled Presence to Influence: Advancing Women in Indian Boardrooms conducted by Khaitan & Co, Aon, and Ladies Who Lead highlights how this requirement has accelerated women’s representation in NIFTY-500, rising from about 6% in 2013 to nearly 21% in 2025. This growth outpaces several emerging markets that do not have similar mandates. One woman on a board of ten or fifteen is progress, but it’s also a reminder of how far we still have to go.

Do we have a shortage of experienced and qualified women for these roles, or are boards not yet fully ready to welcome them? Are organizations seeing real value in having women at the table, or is this merely a compliance checkbox under DEI?

The reality seems to sit somewhere in between.

For companies, it means creating a pool of potential women directors within their existing talent ecosystem, women who have grown through the ranks, understand the business, and embody the brand’s values. A leadership-to-board transition is not only seamless but also meaningful for both sides.

For aspiring women directors, the journey begins much earlier than many realize. Too often, women start thinking about board positions toward the latter stages of their careers, when they “feel ready.” But by then, visibility and networks may already be limited. Instead, the time to start preparing is while you’re still growing into leadership, when you can actively shape your influence, hone your executive presence, and cultivate networks.

A few guiding thoughts for women aspiring to board roles:

• Build and nurture relationships: Cultivate meaningful connections andseek mentors who can advocate for you and nominate you when opportunities arise.
• Stay visible and engaged: Participate in communities, industry forums, and advisory projects. Visibility builds credibility.
• Strengthen your personal brand and thought leadership:Influence begins long before an invitation to the boardroom. Communicate your achievements and leadership expertiseso that your professional narrative is clear and discoverable.
• Sharpen your expertise: Whether it’s digital transformation, ESG, corporate governance, or communications, be known for something that adds tangible value to a board.

For women who have spent years building brand equity within their organizations, this experience is especially powerful. If you’ve contributed to shaping a brand’s value, culture, and public image, you already hold an intrinsic understanding of long-term value creation, which is, in essence, what a board is entrusted to do. The transition from brand rooms to boardrooms is, therefore, a natural progression in stewarding that value forward.

India’s growth journey presents an extraordinary opportunity for women to step into boardrooms with confidence and purpose. This moment is not about fulfilling a mandate, but about recognizing the expertise, foresight, and leadership women bring to the nation’s most dynamic companies and to the future of corporate India.