Corporate board gender diversity in the shadow of the controlling shareholder—an Indian perspective

ABSTRACT Corporate board gender diversity has been canvassed for two reasons—business benefits and gender equality. The most convincing reason for board gender diversity seems to be that diverse boards are more effective monitors of management. In other words, the corporate governance case is the most convincing aspect of the business case. Drawing from the analogy of independent directors who are meant to improve corporate governance, this article focuses on the effectiveness of board gender diversity as a corporate governance measure in India. The article also examines, to a limited extent, the equality case for board gender diversity, its articulation, and its effectiveness in the Indian context. Finally, the article makes recommendations to ensure that the gender diversity measures are effective both in terms of corporate governance and equality in India. Thus, the article addresses a gap in legal scholarship on the effectiveness of the board gender diversity measures in India.