HCLTech only Indian firm on Forbes’ top 50 companies for women list

Forbes has released its sixth annual list of the World’s Top Companies For Women. Among the top 50 names on the list, there was just one Indian company

Forbes has released its sixth annual list of the World’s Top Companies For Women. The list identifies organisations that support women employees in the workplace, encourage professional growth and offer competitive compensation. Among the top 50 names on the list, there was just one Indian company — HCLTech, part of the HCL Group, ranked 40th on the list of the world’s best companies for women.

Top Companies For Women by Forbes

FILE PHOTO: An employee arrives for work at HCL Technologies headquarters in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, August 28, 2023. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo (REUTERS)

The top five companies for women in 2026, as ranked by Forbes, were:

1. Microsoft (USA)

2. Apple (USA)

3. Manulife (Canada)

4. L’Oréal (France)

5. MAIF (France)

Microsoft retained its top position from the previous year, while iPhone-maker Apple ranked second. Manulife, the largest insurance company in Canada, took the third spot.

Common features among these organisations included flexible and hybrid working arrangements, benefits suited to different stages of employees’ lives, opportunities for career advancement and supportive colleagues.

No Indian company made it to the top 20. However, HCLTech ranked 40th on the list.

More about HCLTech

HCLTech is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It provides technology solutions to businesses across industries, including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications and retail. It has a presence in over 60 countries today.

HCLTech is the flagship company of the HCL Group, which was established by Shiv Nadar. It was spun out of HCL Group in 1991 when HCL entered into the software services business.

In the financial year 2024-25, HCLTech reported consolidated revenue of ₹1,17,055 crore, up 6.5% from the previous year, while its net profit stood at ₹17,390 crore.

TIME magazine’s World’s Best Companies list in 2025 ranked HCLTech as the best India-headquartered technology company.

This year, it was included in Forbes’ list of the world’s best companies for women. “Our ultimate goal is to achieve gender balance and inclusion at all levels of the organization, with a specific focus on increasing the representation of women in leadership positions,” HCLTech writes on its website.