India has one of the strongest pipelines of women graduating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, the technology industry still struggles to retain and promote them into leadership positions.
Virginia Galarón, Customer Advocate Director at New Relic, says women in technology should be prepared for situations where they may be the only woman in the room. “That can feel daunting, but it is also powerful,” she said. She believes this situation should be seen as an opportunity rather than isolation. “Being the only one means you bring a perspective that is not yet represented,” Galarón said.
India produces about 43 per cent women STEM graduates, one of the highest shares globally, higher than the United States and much of Europe. Despite this strong talent pipeline, women hold only 4–8 per cent of executive roles in India’s technology sector and just 14 per cent of C-suite positions.
Experts say the problem is not hiring women but retaining and promoting them. Ridhima Sawant, Chief Transformation Officer at Orient Technologies, explained the issue clearly. “Talent is not scarce; retention and progression systems are,” she said.
Many women leave the technology workforce between the 5-year and 10-year mark. Caregiving responsibilities, lack of visible career growth, and limited workplace flexibility are some of the key reasons. Sawant said structured mentorship is critical, especially for women returning after career breaks.
Orient Technologies has introduced the “2nd Inning” programme to support women returning to work. The initiative offers mentorship, reskilling in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity, and defined career progression milestones.
Other companies are also introducing structured programmes. At Creative Synergies Group, quarterly learning sessions include leadership development programmes called LeadHERship, personal branding workshops and financial literacy sessions. The company also runs health initiatives such as breast cancer screening. A Women’s Committee meets every quarter to track progress and design new interventions.
Industry leaders say the focus must now shift from representation to real influence. Janaki Yarlagadda, Chairman of Blue Cloud Softech Solutions, said women should move beyond representation and actively shape strategy, governance and key business decisions.
Rahul Sahay, Senior Vice President of HR at Virtusa Corporation, added that increasing women’s participation in strategic engineering roles strengthens long-term organisational performance.
Preeti Menon, Chief Operating Officer for Product and Digital Engineering Services at Happiest Minds Technologies, noted that as the tech industry moves deeper into AI and emerging technologies, diverse leadership is essential to build responsible digital solutions.
Galarón also highlighted the importance of purpose in career growth. “Every project has an intended outcome,” she said. “Understanding that outcome early allows you to prioritise effectively, influence decisions and deliver results that truly matter.”
She encourages women to speak up when they are the only voice in a room. “Diverse thinking is essential to solving complex challenges, and your insight may be the catalyst that changes the direction of a conversation or a strategy,” she said.
Whether India’s technology sector can retain and empower this 43 per cent talent pool will determine if the country’s leadership numbers ever reflect it.
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