Women still face a lot of bias and struggle to secure funding: Shruti Shibulal

I was in a fairly powerful position when I was around 23. So, as a young entrepreneur and leader, I experienced ageism to a greater degree than gender bias. And in my 20s, it motivated me to work harder and push back against some of those assumptions. 

Even today, it may take a moment for a new acquaintance to absorb my title and then adjust their initial impression of a CEO who appears to be relatively younger than what they expected. That said, it is understandable for young leaders to face this, within reason. Deep knowledge of any craft or industry cannot be earned overnight. So, it absolutely makes sense that age is respected, as it should be. Perhaps, we can also gradually accept the fact that it is not age alone that matters always. 

Of late, I have also noticed a different kind of bias—lack of true representation in conferences and discussion forums. It’s often the same set of people who are invited and there is hardly any diversity in terms of perspectives, gender or age. The danger of seeking sameness like this is that we are missing out on innovative ideas and fresh thinking. 

Q. Is India’s entrepreneurship landscape an equal opportunity space?

Entrepreneurship is hardly a level-playing field in India. Women still face a lot of bias and struggle to secure funding, irrespective of the industry they want to get into. According to a recent study, ventures with at least one female founder secured just 4.5 percent of all VC (venture capital) funding in India during the 2023-24 period. The most apparent reason for this is the inherent bias about women’s competence in the role of a leader, which we have not conventionally seen them occupy. Studies also show how women’s empowerment actually exacerbates bias—as women take on more high-level positions, they are viewed as a greater threat. As a consequence, women entrepreneurs face more loan rejections and end up paying higher interest rates if at all they get loans. Also, investors prefer pitches made my male investors even when the content is the same. 

Socio-cultural factors also contribute to women having limited access to financial services, mentorship, networking and other support systems. 

Q. There are relatively more women in the hospitality industry, but it’s still skewed at the top…

There’s definitely a tapering of sorts that happens between the time a woman graduates and finds employment to the time she reaches a leadership position. This is largely due to socio-cultural and personal factors—like marriage, childbirth or senior care. Concerns around workplace safety as well as transportation and logistics burdens add to this. Rigid organisational structures have also made it difficult for women to manage traditional household roles and pursue sustainable, let alone upwardly mobile, careers. 

Flexibility and a supportive environment where one can work without the fear of negative consequences can be immensely empowering. It’s crucial for leaders too, to be empathetic—to understand the challenges their team members face both at the workplace and outside of work. Women face more challenges than men particularly due to social biases. That said, I wouldn’t want to stereotype because the conversation here has to be around collaboration and providing a holistic experience as a team, not as an individual. 

At Tamara, we fully acknowledge the value women bring and allow them as much flexibility as possible. For instance, in my direct sales team, we have had reservation agents who work from home. It is not feasible for them to come to office regularly, but they are exceptionally good at what they do. We actively seek to support such women who are a valuable talent pool. 

Q. Do women leaders bring any unique skill sets to the table?

Cognitively, leadership is gender agnostic. And from a skills perspective and thinking perspective too. However, diversity in individual backgrounds and experience can influence the way a leader interacts with the organisation and the external environment. 

Women bring important skills like heightened sensitivity to inclusive communication, which requires diplomacy, empathy, patience and understanding. They also tend to prioritise collaboration. These qualities are suitable for front office roles and certain other areas of hotel operations. And often, we see women excelling in such positions compared to men. As leaders, we also see women effectively managing reputational risks and prioritising ESGs (environmental, social and governance frameworks).  

About a quarter of my senior team members today are women. And our focus is to bring more women into leadership roles because they can relate better to the struggles of other women. As part of our career development programme, we identify learning gaps in women and offer them training so that they can move up the ladder. 

Q. What has influenced your leadership style?

I was lucky to have been around leaders like my father and see the reality of leadership, up close. It’s something that can shape you as a leader—offering a long-term vision in terms of who you want to be, what you want to be, how you want to treat people, and the sacrifices you want to make for the organisation. These were aspects I could reflect on and define for myself quite young.

Seeing Infosys was obviously inspirational, as it was for many others in the country. I have imbibed a strong sense of its value system and that has profoundly influenced the way I lead. The biggest learning from my father has been that in a country like India, we can be successful while staying committed to our values. 

Q. Do you think the world of power is designed for men?

Yes, I believe so. Traditional workspaces, schedules, career models and leadership styles were designed largely in favour of men, and this can make it challenging for women. However, there is a lot we can do today, given the advancements in technology. For instance, we can offer more flexibility to those who want to work different hours or from different locations in a way that suits their individual needs.

For organisations to truly evolve, we need to redefine what work looks like. This begins with basics like well-planned maternity and paternity leave policies as well as childcare support. We can then look at larger changes—perhaps revisit the traditional idea of working at a particular office from say, 9 am to 5 pm. That will open up the ecosystem to a much wider pool of exceptional talent. 

Finally, it is important to listen to employees—women themselves can best tell you what support they need. Routine surveys and transparent feedback loops are effective ways to achieve this.

Also read: As a country, we need to focus on healthier and stronger women: Reddy sisters of Apollo Hospitals

Q. How can we build more equitable workplaces? 

It’s crucial that both men and women have an understanding of each other’s challenges. Two years ago, we partnered with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and The Gender Lab to understand the perceptions men and women in the industry held of each other, particularly in a few of our hotels. I chose to work with them because I strongly support their approach—that in order to reframe the gender narrative, we need to actively implement interventions for men and boys. 

Men spoke about the immense pressure they face, often as the breadwinner of the family, and women highlighted the difficulties they face in balancing work and responsibilities at home. It turned out that men were better aware of the issues women face. We worked on these insights and now, men and women in the organisation have a better grasp of each other’s contexts and are more collaborative even as they grow in their respective careers. 

Pay parity is also a significant concern across sectors. According to the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index, Indian women earn Rs40 for every Rs100 earned by men. One of the reasons for this is that women are less likely to be promoted into positions of leadership. The journey towards an equitable workplace requires addressing multiple barriers through a holistic, human-centric lens.

Q. What does diversity mean to you?

Diversity is about bringing together different viewpoints to create something more valuable than a homogenous perspective. Gender is certainly one of the aspects, but diversity has to be embraced in multiple ways. Especially in a country like India, it’s important to think about geographical and cultural diversity. The hospitality industry is naturally diverse on this count—this certainly brings complexity but adds value too. The people we serve are just as diverse and so the experiences we offer have to reflect that variety. 

I believe that it’s equally important to be inclusive of people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. SAATHIYA, our non-profit skilling academy, was set up with this goal—it provides hospitality training to underprivileged youth. In total, 98 percent of our graduates have found placements across the industry, including in our company. Our team also includes graduates from both international hotel management schools and Indian universities. We work with non-profits too to identify roles for the differently abled. 

Q. How important are women as a customer segment? 

It’s a growing segment and I see a huge opportunity here. Conversations are changing and this whole idea of strong female bonds and sisterhood is becoming more and more powerful. Groups of young mothers and older women are increasingly spending time together at our properties. There is a huge uptake for reunion packages too. 

It’s interesting to see how women have started to take charge of their minds and bodies. For instance, there’s a lot of attention being given to menopause these days—it’s almost like a movement. Keeping pace with this trend, we have curated Eve Care—a special package for women—at Amal Tamara, our ayurveda hospital in Alappuzha. Women’s health is now a focus area in wellness tourism, but mental health is still a neglected space in India. We hope to soon offer personalised offerings for mental wellness as well. 

Q. Where should the change begin to widen the pool of women in the workforce? 

Societal changes are necessary and organisations have a large role to play in terms of supportive policies. However, we have to remind ourselves how much we can change by shifting the status quo within ourselves. Change can begin—and has begun—within individual women.

Women need to apply for the roles they aspire to. For instance, if you believe you meet only 80 percent of the required criteria for a dream job, don’t let that 20 percent gap deter you.  Women’s natural ability to remain mentally agile—to learn and adapt to roles—will place them ahead of the curve. If women can mindfully make that change—recognise their worth and have self-belief—we would see a lot more women seizing the opportunities out there. 

Q. What are the attributes that are imperative for a 21st-century leader?

Listening, collaboration, empathy and a learning mindset are crucial. In addition to this, be it from a knowledge or a technology perspective, leaders need to dive deep into the granular details. It’s all about a holistic approach and constantly investing in your growth.