Obstacles and Transformative Impact of Women’s Involvement in Indian Family Businesses

Abstract

In many ways, the experiences of women in family businesses in India are different from those elsewhere especially those in the
West, which has traditionally been the focus of family business research. And within India itself, the experiences of women in family businesses differ widely based on their social,cultural, economic, institutional, geographical, and generational contexts. Recent
studies have shown that the number of women-led family businesses has increased in the last decade, and it will only rise from here on. Where once the daughters were not even considered to lead the family business, today we can see those very women leading the march into the future. This trend reflects not just a national but a global shift in the mindset towards meritocracy over gender-based stereotyping and heralds a new age of leadership. By not being given the same opportunities as their male siblings, for instance, they get left out of leadership positions. While this aspect is also surely and slowly evolving, there is still a lot more that needs to be done to ensure that women have a say in family businesses.

Research Objective: The purpose of the research is to attempt to find reasons for the role of women growing as leaders in Indian Family businesses.