India’s digital economy is expanding at breakneck speed, from AI-led automation to cloud-first enterprises and a thriving startup ecosystem. In response, tech-skilling initiatives have multiplied across the country.
But where do women stand in the game? Promising coding careers, data analytics roles, remote gig opportunities and all sorts of inclusive corporate policies will be of no use if women don’t hang on to their careers for the long run. In the current scenario and rising numbers, on paper, it appears to be a breakthrough moment for gender inclusion in technology.
But beneath the surge in training certificates and hiring drives lies a deeper question: Is India building sustainable tech careers for women or merely widening the entry-level funnel?
A recent study conducted by Avsar found that women account for only 23% of the senior tech leadership roles in India. Though the company called it a shift towards the constitution of a more inclusive tech workforce, the number reflects a clear imbalance.
As organisations compete for digital talent, International Women’s Day offers the right moment to examine whether tech skilling is translating into leadership pathways, long-term retention, and real economic power for women in the digital age.
Recently, the Karnataka government announced that it will train 1000 mid-career women for senior leadership roles, under its IT Policy 2025-30. Through the scheme titled Women in Global Tech Missions, the government aims to boost female representation in high-level IT roles by offering them integrated training, fellowships and mentorship.
EdTech platforms, state-led missions, and corporate academies are positioning technology as the gateway to economic mobility for women. Remote work and platform-based tech gigs have further lowered entry barriers, allowing women to access digital careers without relocating. On the surface, the numbers suggest progress: more women are enrolling in STEM courses, earning digital credentials, and entering entry-level tech roles than ever before.
On these lines, Nandini Tandon, Co-Founder & Chief People Officer, Indusface, said, “As the founder of a tech company myself, I don’t think that the gap is about ability. It is about understanding. With basic flexibility, women can shine in any role.”
The Missing Ladder
Tandon’s remark captures a quiet but critical shift in the conversation. If the gap is not about ability, then the next step is design. Because what continues to determine whether women stay, grow and lead in technology is not access to courses alone, but access to sustainable career structures.
A TeamLease Digital report carried out by People Matters states that despite boasting the world’s highest percentage of women in STEM (43%), India’s tech boardrooms paint a vastly different picture. Only 11% of leadership roles (15-20 years of experience) and a mere 8% of C-suite positions are held by women.
Therefore, the numbers tell a dual story. So, clearly, the issue is less about hiring drives and more about how careers are architected once women are inside the system.
Progression is the real test here. The drop-off often becomes visible five to seven years into a career, when caregiving responsibilities, limited mentorship, and biased role allocation begin to narrow advancement opportunities.
On this, Shweta Agrawal, Director, Mobile Application Development and Marketing, CIMCON Automation, said, “Many women step back from their careers when personal and family responsibilities increase. In most cases, those responsibilities still fall disproportionately on them. This is not simply a professional issue. It is a societal reality that affects the workplace.”
According to her, if organisations want to retain women, they need to acknowledge this without judgment. Flexibility is important, but so is trust. Women do not need concessions. They need structures that recognise that careers are not always linear.
“Leadership paths should allow for pauses, pivots, and reentries without closing doors. Performance should be measured by outcomes, not by how long someone sits at a desk. When companies build that kind of environment, women do not leave. They stay, and they lead,” Shweta added.
The Structural Barriers
As social structure is discussed, it is crucial to look at the issues lying at the base of the pyramid.
A recent KPMG report carried out by Economic Times states that even today, 10% of organisations surveyed have no women in leadership roles at all, highlighting the uneven nature of progress across India Inc.
The report attributed this to the lack of intentional organisational design, transparent systems, consistent sponsorship, and leadership accountability. The report further suggests structural bottlenecks rather than individual choice as the key constraint.
This shows that beyond corporate corridors, structural realities continue to shape outcomes. An alarming yet significant study conducted by McKinsey and Company found that, in India, though the underrepresentation shows at the apex levels, at the entry level, there is also a seven-year age gap between women and men.
Women average 39 years of age, while men average 32. This significant difference suggests that many women either start their careers later or face career stagnation, remaining in entry-level roles longer before advancing.
In many organisations, women are often steered toward support or coordination roles rather than core product development, AI research, or cybersecurity functions that command higher pay and influence.
The absence of visible female role models in deep-tech domains further reinforces self-selection out of competitive technical tracks. Skilling, without systemic reform, cannot dismantle these layered barriers.
However, Nandini Tandon shared an interesting insight. She said, “There are policies for women out there. But women should also need to respect those. When a company offers fully paid maternity leave, they should acknowledge it and come back with full productivity.”
Her statement strongly aligns with the numbers, too. A report carried out by Medium states that, “In India, around 73% of women stop working after having a child. Only about one in four keeps her career going.”
The HR & Business Case
For HR leaders, this is no longer a diversity statistic to acknowledge once a year. But it is a workforce risk with measurable business consequences. When women exit mid-career or remain clustered in non-core technical roles, organisations lose not just representation, but institutional knowledge, project continuity, and future leadership capital.
In high-growth digital sectors where AI, cybersecurity, and advanced engineering talent are already in short supply, the attrition of experienced professionals, irrespective of gender, compounds the skills crisis.
The question, therefore, shifts from how many women are hired to how many are architected for progression. Leadership gaps rarely emerge at the top; they are designed, unintentionally, at the level of role allocation, promotion criteria, flexibility models, and sponsorship structures.
For businesses navigating AI transformation and digital disruption, skills are imperative and not gender. Diverse tech teams build more inclusive algorithms, reduce bias in product design, and improve problem-solving outcomes.
The Way Forward
To offer basic access to educational facilities to women, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during the Union Budget 2026 that the government plans to create girls’ hostels in Higher Education STEM institutions.
“In Higher Education STEM institutions, prolonged hours of study and laboratory work pose some challenges for female students. Through VGF/capital support, 1 girls’ hostel will be established in every district,” she said.
About the future, Shweta Agrawal said, “I am optimistic, but also realistic. Sustained change will depend on intent. Corporate leadership must actively create opportunities, not just speak about inclusion. At the same time, broader ecosystem support through policy, mentorship, and access to networks will play a critical role.”
According to her, India has a strong pipeline of educated, capable women entering professional fields. Many are already working in engineering, technology, startups, and research. They are steadily reshaping expectations.
“Over the next decade, I believe we will see more women not just participating but influencing decisions at the highest levels. That is when the real shift happens, when representation moves from presence to power,” Shweta added.
The numbers and expert opinions clearly show that the next phase of the scenario will not be determined by how many women complete coding courses, but by how many stay, lead, innovate, and build.
Sustainable progress requires ecosystem thinking in the form of education reforms, flexible work models, measurable diversity goals in technical leadership, and accountability at the top.
As Women’s Day approaches, the conversation must move beyond access to ambition. True digital inclusion will be visible not just in hiring dashboards, but in the intent.
