Women underrepresented in India's deeptech sector, says Indeed report

Women remain underrepresented in India's deeptech sector, with limited entry-level hiring and slower career progression despite steady job-seeking activity, an Indeed report shows

Women participation remains underrepresented in India’s deeptech sector, a report said. The latest Hiring Tracker from Indeed highlights that female representation remains limited from the start of the career pipeline.

 

Nearly half of employers surveyed (43 per cent) reported that women constitute only 0–10 per cent of their entry-level deeptech hires. Furthermore, no surveyed organisation reported female representation exceeding 50 per cent at any level of seniority.

 

The survey, which focuses on specialised fields such as AI/ML, data science, and cybersecurity, points to a combination of hiring trends, pay perceptions, and progression timelines as key factors shaping the workforce.

   

Sashi Kumar, managing director, Indeed India, said, “While STEM education is a prerequisite, differences in assessment processes and practical workplace constraints can influence how opportunities are accessed. Identifying these structural challenges is an essential step for organisations looking to effectively attract and retain skilled talent in high-demand areas like AI and robotics.”

 

Active job-seeking among women in this sector has remained stable, with 43 per cent reporting active applications in Q4, compared to 42 per cent in Q3, suggesting that the representation gap is not due to a lack of activity among female professionals but rather structural entry barriers.

 

The report highlights a divergence in how pay and growth are experienced within organisations. Almost 38 per cent of employers reported that women take longer to progress to mid-level roles compared to their male counterparts.

 

Approximately 32 per cent of employees believe colleagues of the opposite gender earn more for similar work. This includes 34 per cent of women who believe men earn more, and 31 per cent of men who believe women earn more. While 67 per cent of employers reported no gender pay gap at senior levels, 27 per cent of employees perceive that the gap widens with seniority.

 

The report also notes differences in how candidates approach job offers. Male candidates are more likely to negotiate salaries, which may impact long-term pay trajectories. Additionally, women showed greater openness to roles with lower incremental increases, with 23 per cent willing to accept salary hikes of 10 per cent or less.

 

Kumar added, “In a high-skill sector like deeptech, our latest survey finds a gap between credentials and compensation; only 42 per cent of women candidates felt their latest job offer was a complete reflection of their specialised skill sets.”