Women hiring in India stable with 33 pc share in placements: Report

A report shows women made up nearly one in three hires in CY2025, with strong presence in entry-level and BFSI GCC roles. However, leadership hiring declined, and significant gender gaps persist in advanced tech and core engineering fields across India

New Delhi: Nearly one in three candidates placed in CY2025 were women, and overall women’s hiring remained stable compared to broader hiring trends, a report said on Thursday.

The report from Careernet said entry‑level roles accounted for the largest share of women’s placements at 36 per cent, while hiring for senior professionals with over 12 years of experience fell to 16 per cent from 19 per cent, underscoring a persistent leadership gap.

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Hiring of women with 3-12 years’ experience increased by roughly 2 per cent year-on-year, indicating growing demand for experienced women professionals.

In CY2025, BFSI GCCs led with 40 per cent, followed by other GCCs at 38 per cent, indicating strong participation by women in GCC-led roles.

Domestic BFSI stood at 31 per cent, making it the top-performing core sector. IT services remained stable at 29 per cent, while domestic enterprises and product GCC were at 25 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.

Chennai (30 per cent) and Bengaluru (29 per cent) led women’s placements, while Mumbai (26 per cent) and Delhi/NCR (24 per cent) showed moderate involvement in women’s placement.

Tier-II+ cities remained at 15 per cent, marking a dip by roughly 3 per cent from CY2024, highlighting the continued yet limited concentration of women’s employment opportunities in major urban centres.

“With one in three placements being women and strong momentum in BFSI GCCs hiring, along with gains at the mid-career level, targeted interventions are clearly delivering results,” said Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer, Careernet.

As hiring becomes more selective, women are increasingly represented in roles that demand experience and continuity, he added.

Another report by TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship and GAN Global said that a significant gender gap persists in specialised IT and tech roles. Women account for 35–38 per cent of overall IT professionals, but there remains a 20–25 per cent shortfall in job-ready women for niche technical skills.

Women represent 14 per cent to 16 per cent of niche technical roles, including Java, Python, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and AI/ML.

Women make up 43 per cent of STEM graduates but their share falls below 20 per cent in core engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, and civil verticals, it said.