New Delhi, April 7 -- A recent Women's Day ad by apparel brand Biba asks why a woman is always professionally introduced with a prefix: lady pilot; lady cop; lady judge; lady doctor; lady boss. The tagline: drop the bias. While its obvious audience is customers, the more uncomfortable target sits in Indian boardrooms.

It is a conversation with deep roots. Back in 1995, Nike ran a spot titled If You Let Me Play, in which girls recited the statistical benefits of being allowed to play sport. The premise was arresting because the girls were asking for permission. Thirty years later, the women Biba's ad references are no longer looking for permission. They are asking why they still need a label. The distance between those two ads measures ge...