“More CEOs say that the soft and subtle approach of women is often more productive than the tried and tested conventional means,” says Mr Chawla.

However, Purvi Sheth of Shilputsi, another head-hunting firm, feels that women have traditionally been good in marketing. It’s just that more women are getting into the field now. “In the past, Vibha Rishi, Chitra Talwar and Vinita Bali have excelled in marketing roles,” says Ms Sheth.

Isn’t it sometimes intimidating to compete in an otherwise male-dominated sector? Neeta Kapoor of Godfrey Phillips feels that there is no gender bias and eventually whoever performs is rewarded.

“I have never felt marginalised despite the top management of my company being male-dominated. I have never felt under the weather by the fact that we deal in tobacco, which is constantly under government scrutiny,” says Ms Kapoor.

However, according to Leanne Cuts, vice-president of marketing in GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, some women do feel intimidated by their male counterparts in the world of marketing.

“There are significant cultural issues which make it difficult for women to pursue a career in marketing. At times, women are also branded ambitious in a clearly derogatory sense, and I have experienced it,” says Ms Cuts.

So is the situation amicable enough for women to make it big? Ms Cuts feels that Indian organisations are rapidly becoming more professional, and working to world-class standards, which has led to a subsequent increase of the representation of women in marketing.

Additionally, Sudipta Sengupta, who heads marketing operations at Cafe Coffee Day, feels that there has been a gradual realisation, both among men and women, that no sphere of corporate world is difficult enough for a woman to explore.

“It is this realisation that has given women the confidence to take on the challenges of marketing. The opportunities that women are getting are not out of any charity but a reward of capabilities,” Ms Sengupta says.