Chennai: Avtar Group, India’s leading workplace culture consulting firm, released the third edition of the ‘Top Cities for Women in India’ (TCWI) report today. The TCWI index identifies model cities and best practices while providing a framework for organizations, policymakers, and individuals to promote the overall development of cities—a key driver of women’s progress nationwide. The index has been compiled using data from various sources, including the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), the World Bank, crime records, and the Periodic Labour Force Survey, alongside Avtar’s primary research. Avtar’s research incorporated FGDs and a nationwide survey conducted from February to November 2024, with 1,672 women from 60 cities participating.
The Top 10 Cities for Women in 2024 are:
Women’s ratings across cities reveal that cities like Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram continue to excel in areas such as infrastructure and safety. The cities’ well-developed public transport systems, public amenities, and law enforcement contribute to a higher quality of life for women.
A total of 120 cities across India were considered for the study based on their economic contribution to the country. Cities were ranked based on the overall ‘City Inclusion Score’ (CIS), derived from Avtar’s research and existing governmental data. The CIS comprises three pillars:
- Social Inclusion Score (SIS): A cumulative score based on city liveability, safety, women’s representation in employment, and women’s empowerment.
- Industrial Inclusion Score (IIS): Evaluates how inclusive organizations are towards women across industries in each city.
- Citizen Experience Score (CES): Reflects women’s assessments of their cities, based on FGDs and surveys. It covers six areas: skilling and employment, caregiving support, transport and accommodation infrastructure, quality of life, efficiency of government bodies, and safety.
Unlike previous editions, which featured separate lists for ‘Million-plus’ cities and ‘Less than a million’ cities, this year’s report presents a unified ranking due to factors such as outdated population data, rapid urbanization, and migration.
Speaking at the release event, Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President of Avtar Group, said, “Cities are the foundation of opportunity. They shape how women live, work, and thrive. A clear understanding of the core principles and cultural fabric of our cities is crucial to advancing women’s progress and inclusion. Avtar’s annual index, ‘Top Cities for Women in India,’ does exactly that by taking a data-centered and evidence-based approach.”
“To achieve the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, it is essential for Indian women professionals to succeed on par with men. This can only happen if cities are truly gender-inclusive, offering environments where women’s strengths are maximized. This means not just providing safe streets, accessible healthcare, education, and affordable living—which are largely reparatory measures—but also creating competitive opportunities for women’s economic success and for them to excel as business leaders. Let’s go beyond repair and optimize women’s lives and careers,” Dr. Saundarya added.
Women’s Ratings of Cities:
- Skilling and Employment: Gurugram ranks highest (7.68/10), followed by Mumbai (7.60) and Bengaluru (7.54). Chennai (7.09), Hyderabad (6.95), and Thiruvananthapuram (5.51) trail slightly.
- Infrastructure: Hyderabad scores highest (8.01) for its well-connected public transport system and other travel amenities. Mumbai (7.64) follows closely. Among smaller cities, Coimbatore (7.75) and Kochi (7.41) also score well.
- Efficiency of Government Bodies: Thiruvananthapuram (8.15) and Pune (7.06) lead in governance efficiency. Gurugram (6.48) has room for improvement.
- Quality of Life: Coimbatore (7.54), Pune (7.50), and Chennai (7.05) report the best quality of life, while Gurugram scores relatively low (6.34), possibly due to environmental challenges.
- Safety: Thiruvananthapuram (7.43), Mumbai (7.19), and Hyderabad (6.95) score high in safety. Women rate Bengaluru (6.17), Kochi (6.02), and Gurugram (5.60) lower in safety.
Key Highlights from the 2024 ‘Top Cities for Women in India
- Bengaluru overtakes Chennai as India’s top city for women, climbing from its second spot last year to the first position, demonstrating significant improvements in industrial inclusion and opportunities for women in employment.
- Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune dominate the top 5 spots, marking their ongoing commitment to creating inclusive environments for women to thrive both socially and economically.
- The South Indian cities continue to lead in gender inclusivity, with 16 South Indian cities ranking among the top 25. Tamil Nadu alone contributes 8 cities, showcasing the region’s strong focus on gender-inclusive policies and social infrastructure.
- Regional Leadership in Gender Inclusivity: The South has emerged as the most gender-inclusive region, surpassing the West in social and industrial inclusion. This is attributed to the region’s emphasis on women’s empowerment, healthcare access, and public safety.
- Gurugram’s impressive rise: Gurugram jumped from 20th place in 2023 to 9th place in 2024. The rapid industrialization and role as an emerging employment hub for women have helped increase opportunities in this city, though further improvements in safety and social inclusion are needed.
- Mumbai’s consistent progress: Mumbai has moved up from Rank 4 in 2023 to Rank 3 in 2024, largely due to its high performance in infrastructure, safety, and women’s representation in employment.
- Small Cities Gaining Ground: Many smaller cities are also making strides in creating inclusive environments for women. Cities like Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, Shimla, and Puducherry are ranked among the top 25, highlighting the regional shifts in gender inclusivity and the increasing importance of non-metro cities in supporting women’s participation in the workforce.
- State-wise performance: Kerala leads with the highest average City Inclusion Score (CIS) at 20.89, supported by progressive policies and strong gender-inclusive programs. Kerala’s efforts in creating women-friendly policies in education, healthcare, and employment are reflected in this top ranking. Telangana (20.57) and Maharashtra (19.93) also follow closely, demonstrating the robust development of gender equality initiatives in these states.
- Social and Industrial Inclusion: Cities with high industrial inclusion scores, like Gurugram and Delhi, are leading the charge in women’s economic participation, but there is room for improvement in their social inclusion scores, particularly in terms of women’s safety and representation in governance.
- Women’s experiences: Women have rated Coimbatore and Pune highly in terms of quality of life, with both cities offering a blend of professional opportunities, good healthcare systems, and a family-friendly environment. While Gurugram scores lower in quality of life, it remains a significant hub for employment opportunities, particularly in technology and service sectors.
- Safety Rankings: The report also reveals safety as a key issue in urban women’s lives. Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, and Hyderabad top the safety rankings, while Gurugram and Bengaluru face challenges in this area, with lower safety scores attributed to incidents of crime and public safety concerns.
For more details, refer to the Top Cities for Women in India 2024 report: Avtar TCWI 2024 Report.
Read More News On Deshwale –
English 
ગુજરાતી