Empowering Women in STEM: A Crucial Step Towards Achieving Viksit Bharat Vision

Women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is not just about fairness; it’s essential for driving innovation and boosting the economy. According to the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), India has an untapped resource in the many qualified women in these fields.

India leads globally in producing female STEM graduates—about 43% of all STEM enrollments are women. However, a mere 14% move on to careers in STEM. Poonam Sharma, the National President of FLO, calls this trend a “leaky pipeline.” This gap represents a significant loss of potential talent and hinders progress in research and development, where women make up only 16.6% of the workforce.

The impact of retaining women in the labor force could be huge. Recent studies show that increasing women’s workforce participation can significantly boost India’s GDP. Promoting women entrepreneurs alone could generate 150-170 million jobs by 2030.

A FLO study sheds light on the barriers women face. These include deep-rooted cultural norms, the heavy load of unpaid domestic work, workplace biases, and a “glass ceiling” that restricts advancement. On the brighter side, government initiatives like WISE-KIRAN and GATI play a crucial role in supporting women, as do visible role models from organizations like ISRO.

To close the gap between education and employment, FLO advocates for better data collection on gender disparities, mandatory pay gap reporting, and the establishment of a “Deep-Tech Women’s Fund” to enhance women’s roles in STEM.

Addressing these challenges is not just the right thing to do; it’s critical for India’s future. As we move towards a more inclusive and innovative society, the economic benefits of investing in women’s participation in STEM can’t be overstated.



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Women in STEM, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Viksit Bharat 2047, Gender Gap, , Innovation and Economy, Workforce Participation, Business news