The missing X-factor: few women in India's dealing rooms

Even as women make their presence felt in India's finance sector, with many making it to corner offices and boardrooms, female participation remains abysmally low in one area: equity dealing rooms.

- Dipti Sharma & Devina Sengupta

"The trading floor is intense—full of aggression, sharp language, and a no-filter attitude that can be overwhelming," said a female equity trader with nearly two decades of experience who didn't want to be identified. "The gender ratio is shockingly low at 20:1 in dealing rooms."

However, in the finance sector overall, about 20% of those employed are women, according to estimates shared by search firm Korn Ferry India. Women's participation is even higher in an industry like information technology services at 36%, according to estimates by industry body Nasscom.