Top 10 India’s most women-friendly cities in 2026: Bengaluru retains top spot, Gurgaon makes biggest jump

One of the biggest movers this year is Gurgaon, which climbed from ninth to sixth place. Its rise is largely powered by improvements in industrial inclusion, with more workplaces becoming women-friendly and supportive of career growth. However, the report notes a gap: cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida offer strong professional opportunities but still lag in safety, affordability, and everyday mobility.

The rankings are based on a detailed framework that evaluates cities on women’s participation, safety, and career continuity. This is captured through the City Inclusion Score, which combines two key components: the Social Inclusion Score (SIS) and the Industrial Inclusion Score (IIS). While SIS looks at factors such as safety, liveability, and the representation of women in society, IIS focuses on how inclusive workplaces are, including job opportunities, representation, and support systems.

Some cities stand out for maintaining a good balance between these two factors. For instance, in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune, social and industrial inclusion have continuously coincided, making it easier for women to find employment and sustain long-term careers. In contrast, Mumbai presents a different picture. Despite a very high industrial inclusion score of 69.00, its social inclusion score lags at 38.44, highlighting issues such as high living costs and infrastructure shortages despite an abundance of job options.

The increasing number of Tier-2 cities in the top ranks is another intriguing trend in this year’s report. This implies that support for women’s surroundings and opportunities is increasingly expanding to smaller urban areas as well, rather than being restricted to metropolitan areas.

With the highest averages for all three indices (CIS at 21.60, SIS at 27.81, and IIS at 11.61), South India has become the most inclusive region. This illustrates a more comprehensive strategy in which communities invest in women’s safety, healthcare, education, and overall quality of life, in addition to economic growth.