The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) and the Institute of Directors (IOD) was signed at the Annual Directors’ Conclave on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in advancing women’s leadership, corporate governance and boardroom diversity in India.
Welcoming the gathering, Mr Manoj Raut, CEO and Managing Director, IOD, highlighted the strong and enduring partnership between the two organisations. Over the last four to five years, IOD has conducted 13 specialised batches for FICCI FLO, equipping women leaders with essential knowledge and capabilities in corporate governance and board leadership.
The occasion was especially significant as IOD completes 36 years of its journey towards “Building Tomorrow’s Boards.” Addressing the gathering, FLO National President Ms Puja Garg highlighted the urgent need for future-ready and diverse boards. She noted that women today hold nearly 21% of board positions in India, and almost 97% of listed companies have at least one woman director.
However, the leadership pipeline continues to narrow sharply, with women comprising around 23% of employees, but only about 14% of Key Managerial Personnel, 10% of Executive Directors, and 5% of Managing Directors and CEOs. FLO has trained over 500 women in recent years, including 54 participants through two Women Independent Directors Masterclasses conducted with IOD during the past five months.
Under this partnership, training programs, special events, networking sessions, and business delegations will be hosted to prepare future-ready women independent and corporate directors through training, certification, industry research, and advocacy.
The MOU reinforces the shared vision of FLO and IOD to build a strong pipeline of board-ready women leaders and enable them to become influential contributors in the boardrooms of tomorrow. She thanked the FLO initiative leads, Usha Rani Manne and Rutvi Vyas, chair and co- chair for the partnership.