179 Government-Owned Companies Lack Female Directors, Government Says

179 Government-Owned Companies Lack Female Directors, Government Says​

New Delhi, March 23, 2026 – As many as 179 government-owned companies, including public sector enterprises (PSEs), do not have a female director on their boards, the government stated on Monday.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain companies are mandated to appoint at least one female director. This includes all listed companies and public companies with a paid-up share capital of Rs 100 crore or more or a turnover of Rs 300 crore or more.

“Out of the 708 government-owned companies, including PSEs, required to appoint at least one female director, 529 companies have complied, while 179 companies have not appointed a female director,” said Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

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Malhotra added that non-compliance is due to specific company-level and administrative reasons. The government did not disclose the specific time period for compliance or maintain centralized data on penalties imposed for non-compliance.

As per the latest data, till March 13, 2026, there were 668 female directors and 3,423 male directors on the boards of government-owned companies.

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