Role of Indian Women in Science and Technology

Role of Indian Women in Science and Technology

India’s science and technology landscape presents a compelling paradox when examining women’s participation. While the country produces the world’s highest percentage of female STEM graduates at 43%, their representation in the actual workforce drops dramatically to just 14% – a phenomenon known as the “leaky pipeline”. This comprehensive analysis examines the multifaceted role of Indian women in the sci-tech industry, drawing from extensive statistical data and organizational reports to present a realistic assessment of achievements, challenges, and future prospects.

Current Statistical Landscape

Education and Workforce Participation

India’s educational statistics reveal an encouraging trend in women’s participation at the foundational level. Women constitute 43% of STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) enrollment at the higher education level, representing the highest proportion globally. The Department of Science and Technology reports that 41% of PhD enrollments in science, engineering, and technology disciplines are women, indicating strong academic interest and capability.

However, the transition from education to employment reveals significant challenges. According to the Research & Development Statistics 2023, women’s participation in extramural R&D projects has grown from 13% in 2000-01 to 18.6% in 2023, yet this remains substantially below the global average of 30%. The technology sector specifically shows women comprising only 10.8% in 2022, though projections suggest growth to 14.9% by 2027.

Sectoral Distribution and Representation

The distribution of women across different STEM disciplines reveals significant disparities. BiasWatchIndia’s comprehensive study highlights that biology has the highest female representation at 25.5%, while engineering faculties show the widest gender gap with only 9.2% women faculty members. Physics, computer science, and chemistry maintain women’s representation between 11.5% and 13%, while earth sciences and mathematics show slightly higher representation at 14.4% and 15.8% respectively.

In research institutions, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) shows 16.1% women personnel, while the Department of Science and Technology has 162 women researchers, the Department of Biotechnology has 1,477, and CSIR institutions employ 1,875 women researchers.

Leadership and Recognition Patterns

Executive and Academic Leadership

The representation of women in leadership positions remains critically low across all sectors. In the technology industry, women account for merely 7% of executive roles across 121 unicorn startups in India. Global Capability Centers (GCCs) show slightly better representation with 14.5% women in top roles, though this is projected to improve as 25% of women employed in technology are currently in GCCs, expected to rise to 27% by 2027.

Academic leadership presents equally concerning statistics. Historically, all directors of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been male – over 110 appointments with zero women directors. However, some progress is evident as more than half of the divisions in both DST and DBT are headed by women, and Dr. N. Kalaiselvi’s appointment as the first woman Director General of CSIR represents a significant milestone.

Awards and Recognition

The gender disparity in prestigious scientific awards reflects broader systemic challenges. The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, India’s highest scientific honor, has recognized only 17 women out of 548 total awardees (3%) over six decades. Medical sciences show the highest female representation among awardees at 5%, while physical sciences maintain the lowest at 1.7%. This pattern extends across other major awards, with women’s representation ranging from zero to 25% for individual awards and less than 7% collectively.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Startup Ecosystem Participation

India’s startup ecosystem demonstrates encouraging trends in women’s entrepreneurship. The country hosts over 7,000 active women-led startups, representing 7.5% of all active startups. These ventures have collectively raised $26.4 billion in funding to date, with 2021 marking the peak year at $6.3 billion. Under the Startup India initiative, 73,151 startups with at least one woman director have been recognized as of October 2024, accounting for 48% of total recognized startups.

Sector-wise analysis reveals retail securing the largest investment share at $7.8 billion, followed by edtech at $5.4 billion and enterprise applications at $5 billion. Bengaluru leads as the primary hub for women-driven startups, followed by Mumbai and Delhi-NCR. However, the unicorn journey shows fluctuating momentum, with 2021 witnessing eight new women-led unicorns, while 2017, 2023, and 2024 saw no new unicorns.

Institutional Support and Government Initiatives

WISE-KIRAN and Policy Framework

The government’s commitment to gender parity in science is demonstrated through the Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN) scheme, with a budget allocation of ₹131.20 crore for 2023-24. This represents substantial growth from ₹44 crore in 2014-15 to ₹135 crore currently. The scheme has benefited approximately 2,153 women scientists in recent years through various programs including PhD fellowships, post-doctoral opportunities, and intellectual property rights training.

The scheme encompasses multiple components: WISE Fellowship for PhD (WISE-PhD) supporting women aged 27-45 pursuing doctoral research, WISE Post-Doctoral Fellowship (WISE-PDF) for independent research projects, WIDUSHI Program encouraging senior women scientists, and WISE-SCOPE Program addressing societal challenges through science and technology interventions.

Sectoral Programs and Initiatives

Beyond WISE-KIRAN, several specialized programs target specific challenges. The Vigyan Jyoti Scheme encourages meritorious girls from Classes 9-12 to pursue STEM careers, particularly targeting rural backgrounds. The CURIE Programme supports women’s institutions in establishing state-of-the-art research infrastructure. The Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM facilitates international collaborative research opportunities.

The Department of Biotechnology implements the BioCARe Fellowship with allocations ranging from ₹3.90 crore to ₹10.36 crore across different years. The Department of Health Research operates the Women Scientist Scheme with recent allocations of ₹13.46 crore for 2024-25.

Space Program Excellence

ISRO’s Women Leadership

India’s space program represents one of the most successful examples of women’s leadership in science and technology. Women comprise 20-25% of ISRO’s 16,000 employees, with 54 female engineers and scientists playing crucial roles in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Notable achievements include Nigar Shaji serving as Project Director for Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar observatory, and Kalpana K as Deputy Project Director for Chandrayaan-3.

The space program’s success stories extend beyond current missions. Ritu Karidhal, known as the “Rocket Woman of India,” served as Deputy Operations Director for the Mars Orbiter Mission. Nandini Harinath worked on over 14 space missions over her 20-year career, while Anuradha T.K. became the first woman Satellite Project Director at ISRO. The Indian Institute of Astrophysics, which developed primary payloads for Aditya-L1, maintains 25% female scientists and has had only its second female director in 50 years.

Major Challenges and Systemic Barriers

The Leaky Pipeline Phenomenon

The most significant challenge facing Indian women in science and technology is the dramatic attrition from education to employment. Despite 43% female STEM graduates, only 14% secure STEM jobs, creating what researchers term the “leaky pipeline”. This attrition accelerates with career progression – while 79% of female talent concentrates in mid-senior positions, only 7% reach executive roles in unicorn startups.

The BiasWatchIndia survey reveals that half of science PhD students are women, yet they comprise fewer than 20% of working scientists. At the post-doctoral level, where most research occurs, the drop becomes even more pronounced, with representation far below the 30% global average.

Workplace Discrimination and Pay Disparities

Gender discrimination manifests significantly in compensation structures. Women in India earn 27% less than male colleagues for equivalent work, with manufacturing showing the highest pay gap at 34.9% and IT services at 34%. Financial services demonstrate the narrower gap at 17.7%. The discrimination extends beyond compensation to career advancement, with women receiving 30% less constructive feedback than men, affecting performance evaluations and promotion opportunities.

Over 80% of working women report experiencing some form of workplace harassment, contributing to hostile work environments that discourage retention and advancement. The Martha Farrell Foundation’s 2018 report indicates widespread harassment across sectors, leading to increased absenteeism and workforce withdrawal.

Work-Life Balance and Family Responsibilities

Research consistently identifies work-life balance as a critical factor in women’s career decisions. Approximately 51% of women exit the tech workforce by age 30-35, with 52% at mid-level leaving due to family issues, gender bias, and pay gaps. Studies show higher proportions of single women in science compared to single men, and more childless women in science than childless men, indicating the personal sacrifices often required for career persistence.

The transition from joint to nuclear family systems has created unique challenges for women professionals negotiating family responsibilities with career demands. 89% of respondents cite travel time to workplace as a major inhibitor to work-life balance. Success often depends on accessing multiple support systems including supporting husbands, extended family members, and private help, privileges not available to all women scientists.

Institutional and Cultural Barriers

Systemic bias in hiring and promotion processes significantly impacts women’s advancement. Hiring processes remain highly opaque, with permanent positions more likely awarded to well-connected male candidates. Women face unlawful sexist questions from hiring, funding, and award committees, creating additional barriers to entry and advancement.

Cultural attitudes persist that consider women less capable in technical fields. Organizations often hesitate to hire or promote women due to concerns about maternity leave and work-life balance commitments. Despite legal provisions like the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, women continue facing workplace bias after pregnancy.

Success Stories and Notable Achievements

Individual Excellence

Indian women have achieved remarkable success across various STEM fields despite systemic challenges. Dr. Tessy Thomas, known as the “Missile Woman,” has made significant contributions to defense technology. In space sciences, the contributions extend beyond current leadership to pioneering roles – Lalitha Ramachandran joined VSSC as one of the first female Malayali chemical engineers in 1969.

The current generation continues this legacy with leaders like Dr. Ranjana N from DRDO, encouraging women to “gear up to lay down new paths in deep tech areas like AI, semiconductors, lasers for quantum, space exploration”. Annapurni Subramaniam, director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, notes that visuals of women project directors encourage girls and young women to pursue science careers.

Institutional Progress

Several institutions demonstrate improving gender representation. More than half of DST institutes exceed the national average of 18.6% women’s representation in science and technology. The Indian Institute of Astrophysics maintains 25% female scientists, significantly above national averages. Six CSIR laboratories are currently led by women directors, marking unprecedented representation in the organization’s 80-year history.

Recent appointments signal positive change: Dr. N. Kalaiselvi became the first woman Director General of CSIR, while multiple women simultaneously lead major space missions. The appointment of women leaders across global technology firms in India – including positions at Google, Salesforce, Meta, Microsoft, SAP, AMD, and Adobe – demonstrates improving corporate recognition of women’s capabilities.

Future Projections and Trends

Workforce Growth Trajectories

Industry projections indicate steady improvement in women’s participation rates. TeamLease Digital estimates the overall Female Work Participation Rate (FWPR) in tech increased by 9.1% between 2022 and 2023, with expectations of 8-9% steady growth over the next two years. The technology sector anticipates women’s share rising from 10.8% in 2022 to 14.9% by 2027.

Global Capability Centers project particularly strong growth, with women expected to represent 35% of the workforce by 2027. This growth spans high-demand emerging fields including data science, analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and user experience design.

Policy and Structural Improvements

Government initiatives continue expanding with new programs under WISE-KIRAN launched during 2023-24, including WISE Fellowship for PhD, WISE Post-Doctoral Fellowship, WISE-SCOPE, and WIDUSHI programs. The Department of Science and Technology aims to raise women’s participation in science and technology to 30% by 2030.

Startup ecosystem support shows promising trends, with women-led startups experiencing 94% year-on-year funding surge in 2024, raising over $930 million across 136 deals. This represents substantial growth from $480 million across 118 deals the previous year.

Recommendations and Way Forward

Addressing Structural Barriers

Creating sustainable change requires addressing both societal-level issues requiring long-term effort and policy and institutional level changes with immediate implementation potential. Schools need to break ‘gendered notions of intelligence’ and encourage girls not only to take science at secondary levels but pursue STEM careers.

Institutions require investment in supporting infrastructure, incentivizing gender equity, and ensuring transparency in decision-making processes. Establishing ‘Office for Equity and Inclusion’ in every institution, ensuring women scientists’ representation on all panels, and setting up daycare centers on campus represent immediate actionable steps.

Enhancing Support Systems

Creating stable mentorships and support networks in each organization becomes crucial for retention and advancement. Sponsors – not just mentors – who advocate for women at decision-making tables are essential for transitions from middle management to executive roles. Having ecosystems to support female leaders enables confident and independent decision-making in hostile environments.

Addressing the “leaky pipeline” requires targeted interventions including stable mentorships, institutional equity offices, guaranteed women’s representation on key panels, and campus childcare facilities. Flexible work arrangements, gender-neutral pay structures, and official mechanisms to address workplace misconduct represent fundamental structural improvements.

Conclusion

The role of Indian women in the science and technology industry represents both remarkable achievement and significant untapped potential. While India leads globally in producing female STEM graduates and demonstrates exceptional women’s leadership in flagship programs like space missions, systemic barriers continue preventing full realization of this talent pool.

The statistics reveal a complex landscape: 18.6% women scientists, 43% STEM graduates transitioning to only 14% workforce participation, 7% executive representation in unicorns, yet $26.4 billion in women-led startup funding and pioneering space mission leadership. These numbers reflect both progress and persistent challenges requiring sustained, multifaceted intervention.

Success in closing the gender gap requires coordinated action across educational institutions, government policy, corporate practices, and societal attitudes. The impressive achievements of individual women and specific programs like ISRO’s missions demonstrate what becomes possible with supportive environments and merit-based selection. Scaling these successes across the entire science and technology ecosystem represents India’s opportunity to fully harness its female talent for national development and global scientific leadership.

The journey toward gender parity in Indian science and technology is ongoing, with encouraging trends in education, entrepreneurship, and specific sectors balanced against persistent challenges in overall workforce participation, leadership representation, and workplace equality. Realizing the full potential of Indian women in science and technology requires sustained commitment to structural change, cultural transformation, and institutional support systems that enable talent to flourish regardless of gender.

ROLE OF WOMEN