Bengaluru has been ranked the best city for women in India in 2025, according to an index. The study, released by Chennai-based workplace inclusion firm Avtar, assessed 125 cities on how effectively they support women through a combination of social infrastructure and industrial inclusion.
Bengaluru topped the list with a City Inclusion Score (CIS) of 53.29, ahead of Chennai (49.86) and Pune (46.27). Hyderabad (46.04) and Mumbai (44.49) rounded out the top five, highlighting the continued dominance of southern and western metros in creating women-friendly urban ecosystems.
The index is built on two pillars: a Social Inclusion Score (SIS), which measures factors such as safety, health, education, mobility and liveability, and an Industrial Inclusion Score (IIS), which tracks formal job opportunities, corporate inclusion practices, skilling and women's workforce participation.
The study said that cities that perform well on both these pillars offer the most sustainable conditions for women's long-term career growth.
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While Chennai emerged as the top city on social inclusion, owing to stronger safety frameworks, public services and access to education and healthcare, Bengaluru led on industrial inclusion. Its mature corporate ecosystem, depth of formal employment and widespread adoption of diversity and inclusion practices gave it a clear edge.
Pune and Hyderabad displayed relatively balanced performance across both social and industrial indicators, suggesting stronger prospects for sustained female workforce participation.
Regionally, South India recorded the highest averages across all indices, followed closely by western India. In contrast, central and eastern regions lagged significantly on industrial inclusion, pointing to limited formal employment avenues for women despite some improvements in social infrastructure.
The report also identified a group of cities that combine strong social systems with inclusive industries as the most resilient environments for women's careers.
The top 10 cities include Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore.
