The growth in the diversity ratio of these firms has also slumped to negligible levels post the Covid-19 pandemic despite a spurt in absolute numbers, data showed.
An analysis of the diversity ratio shows that the total number of women employed by this cohort grew from an estimated 374,000 at the start of pandemic (March 2020) to 540,000 in March 2023, but fell to 515,000 at the end of FY24.
While the number of women employees in these firms increased by about 141,000, or 38%, between 2020 and 2024, the diversity ratio in this cohort grew by a minor 0.9 percentage points during this period, indicating a comparable jump in hiring of male employees as well.
“Such parallel growth in intake scale will continue to drive constant and flat gender ratios as we are witnessing now,” said Shincy Morris, business head – direct hiring at Xpheno.
The average diversity ratio in the January-March 2024 quarter at 34.26%, in fact, fell 0.6 percentage points from 34.32% a year earlier.The pre-pandemic years between 2018 and 2020 saw a stronger 1.56 percentage points growth in diversity in the five IT firms, data showed.The increase in women professionals in the workforce post pandemic is largely an outcome of an overall increase in hiring volume across genders and not due to an increase in the diversity ratio, experts said.
TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Tech and LTI Mindtree did not respond to ET’s query until press time Thursday.
Data shared by Avtar group, a leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) solutions company, shows a stark drop-off in women reaching leadership roles in the Indian IT industry– the diversity ratio at the senior level at 17% is less than half of 35% at the entry level.
“This lack of progression can be discouraging for ambitious women,” said Saundarya Rajesh, founder-president of Avtar group. “Imagine dedicating yourself to a field, only to face constant hurdles to advancement and fair compensation. Feeling undervalued and passed over for promotions can be incredibly demotivating.”
Attrition of women in the tech sector is higher at 26% compared with the overall attrition of women across industry sectors at 21%, according to Avtar’s data.
“The pressure to excel in a demanding field while also managing personal commitments leads to burnout, which results in high attrition,” Saundarya said. “Clearly, the lack of advancement opportunities is discouraging for new hires from diverse backgrounds,” she added.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of programmes to attract and retain high potential women in the workforce in the tech sector.
Avtar’s data shows that post-pandemic, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) intent has grown from 73% to 77%.
However, several surveys also show that there are deep-rooted biases and challenges that are still hindering women’s advancement.
According to a recent survey by ANSR, a consulting firm, women in the tech industry experience discrimination across multiple dimensions, including representation, decision making, recognition, and opportunities.
“It is crucial that these programmes have the buy-ins of the CEOs. Hiring a bunch of people who are ‘different’ candidates does not guarantee inclusion,” Saundarya said.
Krishna Vij, business head at Teamlease Digital, said, “Tackling the gender gap in leadership positions is crucial. This can be achieved by implementing policies that support women during pivotal life stages, such as offering flexible work arrangements, mentorship programs, and promoting return-to-work initiatives for those re-entering the workforce after a career hiatus.”