India Inc boards make more room for young guns

Bengaluru: Young directors are slowly but surely making inroads into India Inc boardrooms - traditionally a bastion of the older and more experienced - as companies gear up to respond to digital transformation and disruption in their industries and bring in diversity that reflects their increasingly younger customer and employee bases...

As of March 31, 2024, there were 1,618 directors (including independent) under the age of 40 across all the NSE-listed companies - a 136% jump from 687 under-40 directors a decade earlier, data put together for ET by primeinfobase.com shows.. Empower Your Corporate Journey with Strategic Skill CoursesOffering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Chief Digital OfficerVisitIIM LucknowChief Executive Officer ProgrammeVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Chief Technology OfficerVisit..

In the case of independent directors alone, the jump was 456% from 134 as of March 31, 2014, to 745 as of March 31, 2024...

People are looking for fresh, out-of-the-box thinking and dedication to board services," he said.. While some boards continue to bank on the tried and tested, startups and tech companies are among those actively seeking younger directors, Haribhakti said..

"The increasing trend of younger director on boards of companies is not an aberration, given the age profile of their employees and customers, and the increasing demand for directors who bring depth in new-age businesses, technologies, and skills," said Pankaj Arora, managing director of executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates..

You might be interested in