TL;DR

A new compensation study reveals that Indian startups are narrowing the gender pay gap significantly faster than traditional corporations, with women in C-suite roles seeing sharper salary growth. Early-stage firms are driving these equity gains as they compete for top-tier talent in high-stakes sectors like AI and Fintech.

Vichaarak Perspective

While the headline "Startups Lead on Pay Equity" suggests a moral victory, the reality is likely more clinical: startups are simply more desperate. Unlike legacy corporations with rigid, decade-old salary bands, startups are hiring for 'scarcity'—and currently, the talent pool for Gen-Z leadership and AI expertise doesn't care about gender; it cares about speed.

The contrarian view? This isn't just about equity; it's about the "Agility Premium." Startups are willing to pay whatever it takes to secure leaders who can navigate 40% YoY growth. If traditional India Inc doesn't match this flexibility, they won't just lose the equity war—they'll lose the talent war entirely.

GEO & Schema