Give to Gain is transforming women's leadership in Indian advertising and marketing comms

Give to Gain isn't just a slogan—it's the lived reality that's quietly transforming women's leadership in Indian advertising and marketing communications.

The ceiling at the CEO level is still glass and very thick. It’s time the industry and holding companies finally crack it — or watch us women build even more powerful paths outside.

 “Traditionally, women battled inflexible structures and unspoken biases. But today, the most impactful progress comes from women who intentionally give—mentorship, visibility, stretch assignments, networks, even platforms, like OON—to accelerate others.

Talking about the transformation, I definitely have seen better representation of women at the top over the 30 years of my work life. However, the lens depends on what we think is transformation. Data and statistics say that the past decade has seen impressive progress in the growth of women leaders. But scratch the surface and you will find that while entry-level and mid-level representation, board diversity, and pockets of senior leadership do exist, there is a sharp drop-off of women at the C-suite and CEO levels, with just 5-8% women in those roles. That to me is not progress — it is a leaky pipeline with a broken valve! And nowhere is this more glaring than in marcom — the very industry that sells aspiration to 1.4 billion Indians.

The reasons are well known: mid-career exits at the 5–10-year mark because of a life event like marriage or motherhood, caregiving, and an unforgiving “always-on” pitch culture; women being funnelled into “soft” categories while prestige accounts that build CEO credentials go to men.

Real power still is rare. And, it is not talent that is the problem; the structures are.

That is exactly the purpose of OON — the World’s first women’s collective providing Integrated Marketing Communications solutions. To give seasoned women professionals a platform to collaborate on high-impact mandates without rigid hierarchies or burnout. We are out to prove that when you give women real ownership, flexibility, and shared power, excellence follows. Because talent thrives when it is not forced to choose between ambition and life.

It’s time we take definitive actions like tying executive bonuses to women’s promotion rates, bias-auditing account allocation, redesigning pitch culture around human realities etc. I’ve observed that when we genuinely invest in women's leadership, the transformation is profound: from performative DEI to structural solidarity. Hoarding opportunity slows everyone; sharing it multiplies impact. This isn't altruism—it's smart business in a talent-scarce, creativity-driven industry.

At OON, our women's collective model is built on this reciprocity: seasoned professionals collaborate on integrated mandates, sharing expertise and credit without hierarchy or burnout. Clients win with more empathetic, innovative work; the industry gains depth and authenticity; and society benefits as communications evolves from reinforcing stereotypes to championing equity.

Lastly, for me, Give to Gain means that leadership is not about climbing alone. Giving didn't diminish me—it multiplied collective strength and transformed how we show up in the industry. The gain is exponential: stronger teams, richer ideas, lasting impact.”