POSH reporting up in FY26 as trust in the system grows

New Delhi: India's bellwether Nifty 50 companies reported a total of 1,327 complaints under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in FY26, a 4.6% rise from 1,269 reported in the previous fiscal, an ET analysis showed. This suggests possibly higher awareness and a rise in trust in the redressal process.

Excluding two companies for which comparable data is unavailable, the analysis shows that the number of complaints has been rising steadily over two years, by 6.3% in FY25 (over FY24) and 5.2% in FY26 (over FY25).

The 4.6% rise in complaints was across 50 companies in the Nifty 50 basket.


A higher number of such cases shouldn't be seen as an indicator of the extent of sexual harassment in workplaces. Experts said this could be a result of more women employees feeling encouraged to come forward with their complaints, as companies have increased awareness across the workforce.

"This is a positive outcome due to increased awareness created by companies because of the mandatory nature of annual employee sensitisation under the POSH Act," said Vishal Kedia, POSH expert and trainer, Complykaro. "It is also an indirect outcome of POSH incidents like TCS Nashik, widely covered by the media, which forces management of companies to sit up and take cognizance of the reputational and criminal consequences of non-compliance," he added.

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Getting more complaints is a good sign, according to experts. Even now, larger listed companies, those subject to Sebi's disclosure requirements, are reporting more. "In the mid-market and smaller enterprise segment, significant underreporting persists," said Pallavi Pareek, founder, Ungender.

"More reporting is a sign of greater trust in the system; women are coming forward because they believe something will be done," said Pareek. The bulk of reported cases continue to involve verbal harassment, unwanted communication, and misuse of power in hierarchical relationships, experts said.

"Digital harassment, over messaging platforms, email, and social media, has grown significantly, particularly since remote and hybrid work became mainstream," said Pareek. According to Madhumita Mitra, an advocate who handles sexual harassment cases, POSH compliance is better in the formal sector. "It is dismal in the informal sector, which forms 90% of India's workforce." "Many districts lack designated officers, properly constituted local complaints committees and adequate access for victims of the informal sector," she added.

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Courts, on their part, have filled the gaps in the legislation and implementation by acknowledging virtual workplaces like Whatsapp and social media messages can be used for inquiries, Mitra said.

"There has also been reaffirmation of "impact over intent," she said. According to Mitra, apart from the classic abuse of power dynamics, peer-level harassment complaints are also on the rise. "It is a challenge for HR policymakers as well as the ICC (internal complaints committee) evaluating evidence, to define boundaries emphasising the need for consent."

A decade ago, most cases that reached formal reporting involved severe or repeated conduct. "Today, organisations with mature IC cultures see complaints about more nuanced conduct, inappropriate remarks, exclusionary behaviour, subtle coercion," said Pareek.