As the hospitality industry marks International Women’s Day, conversations around gender diversity are gaining renewed momentum across hotel boardrooms. While women remain highly visible across guest-facing roles and operational teams, their representation still narrows significantly at senior leadership levels.
Industry leaders say the gap is rarely about capability. Instead, it often stems from structural realities of the sector—demanding operational hours, mobility requirements, and limited early exposure to revenue and operational leadership roles. Over time, these factors can slow the leadership trajectory for many talented women professionals.
However, there are signs that the landscape is beginning to evolve. Many hospitality companies are now focusing on structured leadership development, mentorship and clearer career pathways to ensure women move beyond functional roles into enterprise leadership.
To understand whether this shift is truly underway, Hospitality Biz spoke with the leading ladies across the industry about the barriers that still exist, the progress being made, and what the next decade could hold for women in hospitality leadership.
“The challenge isn’t about capability, it’s about access and timing”
Mandeep Kaur, General Manager, Taj Wellington Mews, Chennai
I genuinely believe the challenge isn’t about capability, it’s about access and timing. Many women enter hospitality with ambition and energy, but the real drop happens when careers begin to demand mobility, long operational hours and relocation, just as personal responsibilities tend to increase. There are also subtle cultural biases. This is mainly due to challenges such as unconscious bias, fewer opportunities for strong mentorship and sponsorship, social expectations around family responsibilities, and the demanding nature of hotel operations. In India, traditional mindsets about women working late hours or relocating for roles have also slowed their career progression.
That said, the situation is improving. Organisations like Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and many other forward-thinking hospitality companies are actively working to break these barriers. They are focusing on fair hiring practices, clear promotion processes, leadership development programs, mentorship platforms, and return-to-work opportunities for women. Improved safety measures, flexible work options, and performance systems based on results rather than hours spent at work are also helping create a more supportive environment.
Most importantly, having more women in visible leadership roles is inspiring others and changing workplace culture. The focus today is not just on hiring more women, but on giving them equal opportunities to grow, lead, and succeed.
I am genuinely optimistic about the next decade. The pipeline of talented women in hospitality is stronger than ever, mindsets are shifting, and conversations in Indian boardrooms are far more progressive than they were even five years ago. If we stay intentional, the next 10 years can significantly change the leadership landscape in India
“Organisations must consciously shape journeys that prepare women for scale”
Shilpa Rameja, General Manager, Taj Connemara, Chennai
We see remarkable women across every department in hospitality, yet representation narrows as we move higher up the leadership ladder. This shift does not happen suddenly; it happens gradually over time.
Often, the difference lies in access to certain assignments. Roles that build commercial exposure, operational command and large-scale decision-making experience are not always distributed evenly. Over time, that creates a visible experience gap, even when capability is firmly present.
There is also the practical reality of our industry. Senior leadership roles frequently involve relocations, extended hours and high-intensity decision-making. In India, women still tend to carry a larger share of family responsibilities, making career choices more layered.
At its core, this is not a question of ambition or ability — it is about how leadership pathways are designed. Organisations must consciously shape journeys that prepare women for scale. Hiring is only the beginning; sustained preparation for the top is where meaningful change lies.
The pipeline of capable women entering hospitality today is strong. They are confident, commercially aware and ambitious about leadership.
The next decade will favour organisations that build leadership consciously and inclusively. If we are intentional in how we identify, prepare and trust women with scale, representation at the top will evolve naturally — not as an exception, but as a norm.
“Representation will improve through experience and opportunity”
Pearl Sanga, Director, Della Group
In hospitality, leadership directly shapes how teams function day to day. Over the years at Della Resorts and Adventure, we have consciously built teams where women are not limited to support roles but are equally present across management and operations.
Today, women are part of operational leadership, revenue discussions, and even culinary teams, which brings a more balanced working environment. This has strengthened collaboration between departments and improved continuity within teams — something extremely important in hospitality where consistency defines guest experience.
The impact is visible in team stability and stronger ownership across levels rather than any single measurable metric.
The most important change is early operational exposure. Careers often take direction in the first few years, and if women are not given operational responsibility at that stage, leadership pathways become narrower later.
At Della Resorts and Adventure, we encourage cross-functional growth so team members understand operations, revenue, and performance together.
Compared to earlier years, we now see women across operations, kitchens, revenue management, and property leadership roles — areas where representation was limited before.
If there is one area I would emphasize, it would be long-term talent development. Identifying potential early and giving individuals varied operational exposure ensures leadership growth happens steadily.
As the industry continues to evolve, representation will improve through experience and opportunity rather than mandates.
“Leadership parity improves when opportunity pathways are designed deliberately”
Isha Goyal, Senior Vice President & Head – Human Resources, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
Hospitality has never struggled to attract women. The real challenge is advancing them into enterprise leadership.
The industry’s traditional leadership pathway has historically been shaped around intensive operational immersion, geographic mobility and uninterrupted career continuity. Without deliberate intervention, women often remain concentrated in functional excellence roles rather than being systematically prepared for P&L ownership and operational leadership.
The opportunity lies in redesigning career architecture.
At The Leela, women represent about 25% of our workforce at our Palaces and 22% across the group. Representation alone, however, is not the goal. The real shift happens when women are intentionally mapped into succession pipelines and exposed to revenue-linked roles early.
Through programmes such as the Leela Leadership Development Programme (LLDP), where 41 percent of graduates from our batch that graduated most recently have been women and Leela Executive Accelerated Development programme (LEAD), we are consciously creating leadership pathways. Across our hotels, women are also shaping operational excellence, from our Shefs at The Leela to front office and housekeeping teams who bring the ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava to life every day.
Leadership parity improves when opportunity pathways are designed deliberately.
“Diverse leadership encourages collaborative teamwork and strengthens inclusive team dynamics”
Kadambari Sabharwal Talwar, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal
Gender diversity at the leadership level has a meaningful and measurable impact on our organization’s overall effectiveness and culture. A diverse leadership team fosters a fair and inclusive workplace where varied opinions, experiences and perspectives are genuinely valued. This diversity of thought leads to more balanced, well-informed decision-making and stronger strategic outcomes.
It has also contributed to greater consistency in growth and development opportunities, ensuring that talent is recognized and nurtured equitably across the organization. Diverse leadership encourages collaborative teamwork and strengthens inclusive team dynamics, creating an environment where individuals feel heard, respected and empowered to contribute.
Additionally, gender-diverse leadership has positively influenced our approach to work-life integration, promoting policies and practices that support a healthier work-life blend. This has enhanced employee engagement, retention and overall organizational performance.
In Indian boardrooms, the conversation has evolved from basic representation to meaningful inclusion. There is greater emphasis on creating leadership pipelines, strengthening succession planning and ensuring diverse perspectives are present at the decision-making table.
“Men and women are evaluated differently for leadership potential”
Sushma Khichar, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel , Brigade Gateway
Women have long been overrepresented in the hospitality industry, especially in occupations that involve interacting with guests, but this problem emerges as careers progress. Many women still shoulder a disproportionate amount of household responsibilities, and leadership roles can involve challenging schedules, relocations, and operational limitations.
Men and women are evaluated differently for leadership potential, which is another subtle cultural prejudice that endures. Ensuring that women receive equal exposure, support, and consistency throughout their careers is the problem, not talent or ambition.
We need to make chances happen on purpose instead of waiting for them to happen on their own.
Women should be pushed to take on operational and revenue-focused roles early in their careers, even if they seem hard at first.
Structured rotations, exposure to leadership, and active support from senior leaders can all make a big difference. Being able to see operations makes everyone feel more confident, both for the person and the company.
“Succession planning must consciously factor in diversity”
Yuvika Gogia, Assistant Director, HR Shangri-La Eros New Delhi
In today’s expansion-focused yet cost-sensitive hospitality market, gender parity has certainly remained a strategic priority, especially within forward-looking organizations. At Shangri-La Eros New Delhi, we don’t see diversity as a separate HR conversation; it’s embedded into how we think about leadership, governance, and long-term sustainability. Of course, financial performance is central to boardroom discussions in a fast-growing environment, but what we’re increasingly observing, both within our own ecosystem and across Indian boardrooms, is that gender parity is being discussed alongside succession planning, brand credibility, and ESG priorities. Women at our leadership table contribute equally to shaping business strategy and growth decisions. There is definitely a noticeable shift; conversations today are more structured, more outcome-focused, and more accountable than they were a few years ago. The real progress now lies in consistently embedding parity into mainstream decision-making rather than treating it as a parallel initiative.
The real shift, however, begins with intentional career design. Exposure to operational and revenue-driving roles should not be incidental; it must be structured early and integrated thoughtfully into leadership development journeys.
At Shangri-La Eros New Delhi, we view commercial responsibility as a core leadership capability rather than a function confined to a specific profile.
Today, succession planning must consciously factor in diversity, and leadership programs should actively equip high-potential women for roles that carry operational and financial accountability. Simultaneously, evolving workplace structures and more agile operational models are making these traditionally demanding roles more sustainable.
When organisations design systems with intention, the leadership pipeline becomes naturally stronger, more diverse, and ultimately more resilient — delivering meaningful impact for the business.
“Without relocation support, women’s careers stall while men advance“
Jharna Pandey, Housekeeping HOD, Sheraton Grand Palace Indore
In hospitality, career growth often demands relocation to different properties or cities for better roles. However, women frequently face mobility constraints due to family responsibilities, safety concerns, and societal expectations. These challenges are further deepened by cultural bias, where traditional gender roles shape perceptions about women’s willingness or ability to relocate, take on demanding shifts, or handle high-responsibility roles. Without relocation support and without addressing cultural stereotypes, women’s careers can unintentionally stagnate while their male counterpart’s advance.
It is true that we discuss gender equality in different forum,but its implementation inconsistency is a challenge which organization as a whole should address. Though there is a significant improvement over the past few years but definitely there is a scope of improvement. I want to share my experience where I have personally attended few conferences and training sessions in my current role and got the opportunity to meet few women in leadership role which itself shows that organizations policies have inculcated this change and made an exemplary effort of removing this unconscious bias.
“Mentorship has value, but sponsorship and leadership advocacy accelerate careers”
Amrita Gupta, Director, Manglam Group and CEO, Manglam Spa and Resorts
“Hospitality remains one of the most people-intensive industries, yet leadership representation continues to lag workforce participation. The gap is structural. Women are often concentrated in guest-facing and support functions, while core P&L, operations and revenue roles, which are the traditional pathways to the C-suite, remain male-dominated. Without deliberate exposure to these decision-making roles, the pipeline narrows before it reaches senior leadership.
In our experience, gender-diverse leadership teams strengthen governance, improve risk assessment and enhance guest-centric thinking. In a highly competitive and cost-sensitive hospitality environment, these are not soft advantages, they are strategic differentiators. Gender parity must therefore be embedded into growth strategy, not treated as an HR initiative.
Mentorship has value, but sponsorship and leadership advocacy accelerate careers far more effectively because they create real responsibility and visibility. Women must be intentionally placed in operational command, asset management and revenue-driving roles early in their careers. Transparent succession planning and measurable diversity targets should form part of leadership oversight if progress is to be sustained.
We believe change must begin within the organisation itself. At our newly launched Westin Jaipur Kant Kalwar Resort & Spa, we have consciously ensured that women are represented across key operational and leadership functions. Being a woman in industries that have traditionally been male-dominated, I understand the structural barriers firsthand. At Manglam Group, inclusion is not symbolic; we actively encourage women to participate in core business roles and decision-making responsibilities. Meaningful progress requires deliberate action and accountability at every level.”
“True hospitality is about making everyone feel valued”
Richa Bansal, Hotel Marketing Expert, Founder, Purple & Pink Digital
Gender equality in Indian hospitality is no longer a conversation about inclusion alone; it is a conversation about progress, performance, and purpose. Our industry is built on empathy, precision, resilience, and leadership — qualities that are not defined by gender but by capability. When women are given equal access to operational roles, revenue leadership, culinary command, and boardroom decision-making, the entire ecosystem becomes stronger and more future-ready. True hospitality is about making everyone feel valued, and that principle must begin within our own workplaces. By fostering equitable opportunities, mentorship, pay parity, and safe, supportive environments, Indian hospitality can set a benchmark not just for service excellence, but for social responsibility. Equality is not a symbolic gesture — it is a strategic imperative that drives innovation, culture, and long-term growth.
