Recognizing women empowering India’s channel ecosystem
For the first time ever, the Women of the Channel list (WOTC) is launching in Asia and will feature an exclusive WOTC India list.
Female channel executives in India will have the opportunity to be featured on the inaugural Women of the Channel list (WOTC) Asia. This list recognises the vision and expertise from women in the channel from vendors to distributors to partners.
Following the release of the global list which featured several leaders from Asia, this list will include more female leaders from the region, with leaders from Southeast Asia, Greater China, Japan, Korea and India.
For Indian female channel leaders, an exclusive Women of the Channel Indian list will also make its debut, enabling a great opportunity for Indian female channel leaders to be featured exclusively.
A globally respected, unranked list, it highlights female executives for their accomplishments over the past year and the far-reaching impact they are having on the technology industry going forward.
These women are esteemed in their industries. From solution providers to distributors to vendors, these women are revered not only in their organisation but within the Indian IT channel.
Jacquie Rives, WOTC community leader and program director said the launch of the WOTC List in Asia, Australia and also India represents more than expansion—it represents progress.
“It’s about ensuring the incredible women driving innovation, growth, and leadership across the channel are not only seen, but truly recognised and elevated on a global stage,” she said.
Inspirational tech ecosystem leaders
While India continues to see increasing female representation in the tech industry, the channel ecosystem remains a very male dominant segment in tech. Despite this, many women have overcome the challenges, succeeding in the industry and proving to be champions in their verticals in the channel.
Visionary Indian female tech leaders include Debjani Ghosh, the first woman president of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) who advocated for partner-driven digital transformation and ecosystem inclusivity. Another visionary leader, Neelam Dhawan, the former MD of HP and Microsoft India was a veteran channel leader with 35+ years in IT, instrumental in shaping vendor–partner strategies in India.
More recent leaders include HCL Technologies’ Roshni Nadar Malhotra who oversees global partner and channel strategies, driving HCL’s expansion in enterprise IT services and Sonali Shah, CEO of Cobalt, who was recognized by CRN’s Women of the Channel list in 2025 and 2026.
Aarthi Subramaniam, the first woman COO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), also plays a strong role in the channel, especially in leading the conglomerate's digital, technological and innovation needs across the multiple sectors of operation. Aarthi’s journey with TCS, which started as a graduate trainee in 1989 and saw her building her career, is an inspirational success story of women in tech not just in India but the whole Asian region.
Women of the Channel India
With submissions now open for the CRN Women of the Channel list Asia, Indian channel leaders can also apply to be featured in an exclusive Women of the Channel India list.
To be eligible to enter, women must be either an executive in a vendor's channel organisation, a solution provider, a distributor or someone who is prominently involved in the IT channel ecosystem.
The deadline for the list is on Friday June 26, 2026, the winners will be published on July 22 2026.