Since COVID-19 female representation in India’s tech contractual workforce has risen substantially. A recent report titled ‘Gender Parity—Shaping Workforce Equity’ reveals that female participation has increased to 27.98% in 2024 from 9.51% in 2020.

A major reason that drove this rise is increased access to remote work opportunities, and the expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Among the sectors showing an uptick in female ratio, GCCs have seen one of the highest growths in gender diversity with representation rising to 38.3% in 2024 from 31.4% in 2020.

“This increase can be attributed to structured DEI policies, global workforce strategies, and intentional steps fostering a more inclusive workforce across the organisational hierarchy, enhancing greater representation in multiple roles,” the report said.

Yet, the report highlights that despite improvements at the entry-level, women's representation in senior leadership positions remains low, growing only marginally from 11.43% in 2020 to 13.60% in 2024.

The TeamLease Digital report analyses trends in the tech contractual workforce from 2020 to 2024. Based on a proprietary dataset of 13,000 associates, the study employs a linear regression model to assess the impact of gender on salary outcomes, considering industry, experience, job roles, and location over a period of four years from 2020.

Additionally, female representation in specialised tech roles remains another major issue. Even in GCCs, the overall gender pay gap in GCCs stands at 16.10%, with a more pronounced gap of 16.4% at senior levels. In high-demand tech roles, the gender pay gap reaches 22.2%, while in non-tech roles, the gap is considerably lower at just 0.8%.

In the IT Services sector, female workforce participation increased from 7.8% in 2020 to 21.2% in 2024, reflecting efforts to create more inclusive hiring practices. However, this increase has not translated into significant career progression, as women’s representation in mid-level roles grew from just 4.13% in 2020 to 8.93% in 2024. These figures indicate that women face significant barriers to advancing beyond entry-level roles. Furthermore, the representation of women in senior leadership roles has seen a fluctuating trend over the past few years. In 2021, women held a modest 4.36%, which rose significantly to 7.39% in 2024, indicating a promising increase in gender diversity within leadership. However, this progress experienced a decline in 2024, as the percentage of women in senior leadership roles fell to 6.91%.

In the IT services sector, the overall pay gap stands at 3.55%, it widens to 6.12% at mid and 8.34% at senior levels.

“The struggle to retain female talent beyond the entry level is driven by systemic challenges such as unconscious bias in promotions, a lack of mentorship opportunities, and workplace policies that do not fully support long-term career growth for women. In non-tech roles within the Services sector, the pay disparity widens to a notable 18.3%,” the report stated. 

While DEI initiatives in the tech industry have improved numbers, a similar move is needed in the non-tech sectors as well. This is because sectors such as Automotive, BFSI, Energy, Healthcare, and Manufacturing remain male-dominated. Additionally, the larger problem is the mid to senior-level opportunities made available to females in non-tech roles at these companies.

“The lack of representation in leadership positions and the persistent gender pay gap indicate the need for long-term structural change. Workforce equity is not an option but rather a business necessity. Organizations that prioritize gender inclusivity benefit from diverse perspectives, stronger innovation, and improved financial performance,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital.