Corporates are going the extra mile to train women professionals for board positions, even as markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has extended the deadline for appointing at least one woman director on their boards by six months. The major concern among corporates is the limited number of board-ready women to take up these positions, says Arun Duggal, chairman of the board of directors of Shriram Capital and chairman of the FICCI centre for corporate governance. Duggal, a veteran international banker, has roped in 24 leaders to initiate a mentoring programme to get more women into corporate boards last year. "We have 48 women graduating from the first batch this year. Placement is now going on, but it is a little tougher than I had hoped. Most promoters prefer to recruit board members, men or women, who are well known to them," he said.

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