Bengaluru tops list as most welcoming city in India for women professionals

A recent study revealed Bengaluru as the best city in India for women to thrive professionally, based on factors like safety, career support, and participation.

Bengaluru is increasingly being seen as the most welcoming Indian city for women to build their careers and lives, a new study released on Wednesday has found.

The report emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to inclusivity as well as workplace opportunities.(Pixabay/Representative)

According to the Top Cities for Women in India study conducted by workplace culture consultancy Avtar Group, Bengaluru has emerged as the country’s leading city for women professionals, The New Indian Express reported. Rounding out the top 10 are Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore.

The report introduces a long-term inclusivity index that evaluates how well cities support women through factors such as workforce participation, personal safety and professional advancement. It also highlights cities that can serve as benchmarks while outlining practices that could help organisations and policymakers improve women’s access to employment, said the report.

Researchers assessed 125 cities across India, comparing the latest findings with previous editions of the study. Rankings were determined using a composite City Inclusion Score, which combines both social and workplace-related indicators.

Social inclusion was measured using criteria such as quality of life, safety, women’s presence in the workforce and empowerment levels. Industrial inclusion, on the other hand, focused on the availability of women-friendly industries, career support systems and the concentration of gender-inclusive organisations, the report stated.

Bengaluru retained the top position in 2025 with a score of 53.29, driven largely by its strong professional ecosystem and career opportunities for women. Chennai followed with 49.86, while Pune (46.27), Hyderabad (46.04) and Mumbai (44.49) completed the top five.

The study also pointed out that while cities like Delhi, Gurugram and Noida performed well in terms of job opportunities and industrial growth, they scored lower on social factors such as safety, cost of living and ease of mobility, underlining that economic expansion alone does not guarantee inclusivity, as per the report.

In contrast, cities including Thiruvananthapuram, Shimla and Tiruchirappalli showed strong social indicators but lacked a robust industrial base, limiting large-scale employment options for women. Meanwhile, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune were highlighted for achieving a more balanced mix of social support and workplace opportunities.