India is renowned for its well-established IT industry. What began with Tata Consultancy Services in the 70s has today catapulted into an industry that generated an estimated $19 billion in revenue in FY23. The Indian IT services sector brought Indian recognition to the global tech landscape. However, the IT industry is also known for being one of the most conducive sectors for female employees.
The Indian IT sector is the largest employer in the country’s white-collar workforce; it also has the highest representation of women in the workforce. Between 2021 and 2022, 30 percent of India’s IT industry was made up of women. This is the highest representation that women have enjoyed in any industry or field in India.
According to data shared by the Nasscom report 'Strategic Review 2023 -- Priming for a 'No Normal' Future’, the Indian IT industry employs over 5.4 million people and will add 2,90,000 new jobs to the roster going forward. This workforce consists of two million women.
The IT sector has empowered women to build successful and lasting careers. In order to understand what it is about the IT industry that attracts more women than any other field, WE interacted with Riya Singhal, a software engineer at IBM and an ex- Redhatter. A B.Tech graduate, Riya likes to teach and share her knowledge of coding and other tech-related topics with young people.
Here are choice excerpts from the conversation.
Tell us about your experience as a software engineer in India. How has the industry impacted different aspects of your life?
I believe working in a profession that you had dreamt of is always wonderful. Knowing that the work I am doing is impacting a lot of people keeps me motivated to do more.
Being in the field of IT also highly motivates me to keep learning. Technology constantly keeps evolving, with new developments happening now and then. So, it’s always a continuous learning process.
The best part of this field is that it promotes work-life balance so well. I manage to get the time to follow my passions along with the job. The currently prevalent ‘hybrid culture’ allows one to work on flexible timings, saving time for traveling. People out there in the industry are also highly supportive. With evolving opportunities every day, and the recognition that we get, it’s going well so far.
What led you to venture into the field of tech?
Growing up, I was always fascinated by computers. From the very beginning, this was the subject I was very enthusiastic about. ‘Technology’ is something that is everywhere and is used by everyone. Wherever you will see, you can find a beautiful innovation of some engineer. Being able to contribute to something that is used so widely, motivated me to pursue this as a career.
In your opinion how has women’s representation in the tech industry evolved over the years? Have things changed for the better now?
With my limited experience I will say yes, things are definitely evolving for the better.
Earlier women had limited employment opportunities and families did not favor women in the tech industry, because of the long working hours and the often-changing job locations.
Whereas now, we see diversity hiring by many companies which are solely for girls. Many companies have several break programs that support women who were in this industry before and then had to take a break for some reason so that they can resume their job.
Companies support women employees through simple acts such as providing cab facilities to take care of the safety of women. Opportunities pay, tasks, and all the other aspects are now mainly focused on skills rather than one’s gender.
Companies are also working towards lessening the male: women proportion and promoting more women in the workspace. There are women leaders and mentors across the departments that are leading and representing the industries so well. Women are being encouraged to do more now, in their families themselves.
What role has your family played in your professional journey?
Luckily, my family has been supportive of me in my journey. They have always guided me right and let me make my own decisions and have always been there supporting me in that. Right from the beginning when I decided to opt for PCM, people were of the opinion that one might have to relocate for a job or the number of hours that this job requires you to work for (considering the future). But my parents have always been there for me, letting me pursue this happily without getting bothered about what anyone else is saying. They are my home for me, I come back to them after a tiresome day or a happy day. They always encourage me to do more, fulfilling my every wish.
Families play the most important part in any of our life’s journeys. If we are able to work peacefully and happily that’s because of those that we call family, cheering us on no matter how big or small the achievement is.
In your opinion how can we bring more women into STEM roles in India going forward?
Early Influences
Parents and teachers have a strong influence on us about which career to choose.
Encouraging and creating awareness among girls about computers and other STEM roles right from the school, will generate interest among them and they will start looking at it as a passion, which will surely motivate them to pursue this as a career.
Awareness
Creating awareness about the STEM roles and how much value these roles bring to one’s life. Meaningful contributions, impact the lives of so many people.
Networking
Increasing your network will boost your confidence and will help you learn even more about these roles.
Mentors
We do what we see,
Having women as their mentors will be the best way for them to idolize.
