India’s Real Estate Daughters Boldly Break the Old Bastion

India’s real estate sector has long been one of the more male-dominated corners of business. Think construction sites, hard hats, long hours, site offices, contractors who expect to negotiate only with men. That’s been the norm. But lately, things are shifting—slowly, but with purpose. More women—especially those born into family real estate empires—are stepping forward as CEOs, directors, and design leaders. And they are bringing more than just a legacy; they’re bringing ideas, education, vision.

Legacy + Education: The New Advantages

Many of these women have inherited more than land titles or corporate shares. They’ve grown up around blueprint meetings, family dinners where business strategy was as normal as supper. That gives them context, confidence. On top of that, many have degrees from top universities—economics, engineering, project management, sometimes from abroad. The result? They’re not stepping in as figureheads; they are stepping in informed, ready, with tools to shape the business. As one real estate analyst said, “What separates the second generation from the first is the way they enter the sector.

Women Rewrite India’s Real Estate Destiny

From Soft Roles to Boardrooms: Expanding Responsibilities

Historically, women in real estate were often limited to the “softer” roles: interiors, client relationships, maybe marketing or architecture. But the newer generation isn’t content with that. They want to be involved in strategy, in land acquisition, in finance, in construction oversight. For example, Roshy Chhillar is involved in almost every stage of Landmark’s Skyvue project—project management, strategy, even envisioning wellness-centred designs. They’re moving from the edges to the core.

Barriers Still in Place: Why It Was Hard Before

If the shift is happening, it didn’t come easy. Deep-rooted obstacles remain.

Gender Stereotypes on Construction Sites

The physical site remains symbolic. A lot of people assume women aren’t safe there, or can’t or shouldn’t be there. Long hours, remote sites, no proper female facilities—these all feed into the stereotype. One woman in the field noted that even contractors or clients may act surprised that she’s running big projects.

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Family Expectations and Internal Resistance

Even within family businesses, there can be resistance. Sometimes expectations that leadership must pass to sons. Sometimes skepticism (“you’ve studied abroad, but will people trust you here?”). Sometimes just invisible bias: when she joins, “men didn’t know what to say,” as Meghna Gummi put it. She also said earning respect took time.

Success Stories: Who Are These New Leaders

To understand the change, let’s look at the people doing it.

Roshy Chhillar and Landmark Skyvue Rs 400 crore project

At just 29, Roshy Chhillar finds herself in a project where much of her vision shines through: Landmark Skyvue, a luxury residential development in Gurugram. Think wellness-centered living, clean spaces, thoughtful design, green landscaping, no garbage messes, no traffic chaos. Her identity isn’t just in her name on a board; she’s helping shape experience. Yet, she still notes moments of being ignored or overlooked in formal settings, even when decisions or design are hers.

Meghna Gummi and ARK Group

Meghna studied architecture, saw what could be better, then decided to enter the family business—not just to inherit, but to transform. When she joined the Ark Group, she found few women in leadership or even staff. Over time, about 20% of their staff became female, mostly in sales & communications, but slowly growing in more technical roles. She emphasizes: the path was laid for me, yes—but I chose to take it.

How Women Are Redefining Real Estate Design and Customer Experience

It’s not just who is leading—it’s how they lead, and what they prioritize.

Luxury Redefined: From Spectacle to Thoughtfulness

Gone are the days when “luxury” meant marble facades, gold touches everywhere, flashy showrooms. The new language is subtle: natural light, cross-ventilation, good storage, wellness facilities, child-friendly corners, quiet communal spaces. Yukti Nagpal of the Gulshan Group says that while past decades were about spectacle, the future will be about intimacy. Buyers today want spaces that care for their day-to-day.

Gender-Friendly Spaces: What Are They?

What does a space designed from a woman’s lens look like? Consider features like safe walkways, well-lit common areas, washrooms that are clean and accessible even on construction sites, amenities friendly to kids and elderly, more open layouts, green patches, spaces where community can form. These are not niche demands—they affect everyone, but historically women have been the ones most aware of missing pieces.

The Role of Associations and Institutional Support

Women breaking in individually is inspiring. But institutional support helps scaling, and tackling systemic problems.

Networks, Mentorship, and Visibility

Mentoring matters: women leaders who came before can guide newcomers. Forums, women’s wings under associations like CREDAI are stepping in. Visibility in projects, in media, at industry meetups help shift perception. When people see women speaking, leading, building, it breaks stereotypes.

Gaps in Policy and Representation

But there are still big gaps. Studies show that out of a total real estate workforce of 7.1 crore people, only about 70 lakh are women—less than 10%. There’s underrepresentation especially in technical and field roles. Safety, infrastructure (e.g. toilets at sites), training, legal/financial literacy often lag. If policy doesn’t address these, progress will remain uneven.

Realtors, Architects, and Others: Beyond Developers

It’s not just the big names; many women are showing up in less-glamorous but vital roles.

The Realtor’s Journey: Client Trust and Challenges

Realtors like “Arpan” (a pseudonym or first name in reportage) work long hours, juggle client psychology, traffic, site visits—all in a highly competitive field. They often start from scratch, maybe without family backing. At first, clients may doubt them, cross-verify their info repeatedly. But persistence, professionalism, good referrals are changing the game.

Technical Roles: Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Engineering

In architecture & surveying, women are fewer but growing. Priya, for one, works as a quantity surveyor for ARK Group’s project: managing dozens of contractors, overseeing procurement, being onsite 9-9, handling field realities. Her gender wasn’t a barrier in her mind; maybe it surprised others—but she’s showing it can be done.

Why This Matters: For Cities, Society, and Industry

This shift isn’t just about fairness. It has ripple effects.

Better Housing, Better Communities

When more women are involved in planning and design, spaces tend to be more usable, safer, and more inclusive. Kids, seniors, disabled people benefit. Community spaces get more attention. Things like walkability, lighting, hygiene—all improve. This raises living standards.

Economic Growth and Inclusivity

Real estate is a major contributor to India’s economy. If nearly 90-% of its workforce is male, that’s a lot of untapped potential. When women participate fully, that adds jobs, income, more innovation. Inclusive growth is stronger growth.

What Still Needs to Happen

Even with progress, many steps remain before this becomes normal.

Changing Mindsets and Cultural Norms

Breaking stereotypes at home, in boardrooms, in construction yards. Men recognizing women’s authority. Families trusting daughters as much as sons. Society seeing women not just as clients, but as visionaries, developers, decision-makers.

Institutional Measures: Policy, Infrastructure, Safety

Things like ensuring adequate safety protocols on site; female‐friendly facilities; legal clarity; financial access; encouraging more women’s representation in realty associations. Policies could mandate quotas, but more importantly support.

Education & Scholarships

Encourage more women into engineering, project management, construction technology. Scholarships, mentorships, internships with real exposure to sites, labs.

Public Recognition & Media Representation

Highlight women leaders in media, awards. Let them be visible. When people see someone who looks like them in that role, they imagine themselves there. That’s huge.

Final Thoughts

India’s real estate sector is slowly shedding its reputation as a male bastion. The new generation of women—raised in family businesses, educated, ambitious—aren’t just inheriting legacies; they’re reimagining what cityscapes should feel like, how communities should live, what luxury really means. Yes, the road ahead is full of work—biases, infrastructure gaps, stereotypes—but the momentum is real. Every time a woman engineer manages a site, every time a young realtor builds trust in a male-dominated market, the foundations shift. And once those foundations shift, the skyline can change, too.