How Nasscom and tech firms are empowering women in STEM

NEW DELHI: Across India, thousands of young women remain jobless despite having university degrees. While India emerges as a global technology hub, many of its women are still struggling to find a place in the digital economy due to lack of digital skills, mentorship, and exposure to tech careers.Although women made up 43% of all STEM graduates in India in 2023, the highest globally, only 27% of them were part of the actual STEM workforce, as per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). Experts say the gap is not just about employment numbers but stems from deep-rooted challenges such as societal bias, lack of access to quality education, and limited role models in science and technology.To bridge this divide, Nasscom Foundation has launched its Skilling and Employability Programme, in collaboration with major technology organisations. The initiative is designed to not only skill women but also support their long-term participation in the tech sector.“At Nasscom Foundation, our vision is to create a more inclusive and equitable future by making marginalised youth employable and job-ready, especially in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy. With this commitment at our core, we collaborate with several forward-thinking tech organisations that share our goal of building a diverse and skilled workforce,” said Jyoti Sharma, CEO of Nasscom Foundation.One such initiative, launched in partnership with engineering firm Quest Global, focuses on underserved women students. So far, 100 marginalised women in Bengaluru have been trained under the programme, with over 60% set to be placed in relevant job roles.“At Quest Global, we aim to be a catalyst for both innovation and inclusive growth—leveraging our engineering expertise to drive meaningful, sustainable societal impact,” said Sonia Kutty, Senior Vice President, Global Head – People & Culture, Quest Global.Another collaboration, with First American (India), a leading Global Capability Centre, has trained over 140 women in digital skills like data analytics, cloud computing, BPM, and BFSI, along with soft skills. More than 70 of them have already secured employment. Volunteers from FAI also mentor the students, deliver guest lectures, and conduct mock interview sessions.“At FAI, we firmly believe that technology should be an enabler for everyone—not just a privileged few,” said Mary Thomas, Vice President and Head – HR, First American (India).In addition, Nasscom Foundation has partnered with global cybersecurity firm Gen to run a placement-linked cybersecurity course for 90 women, with the goal of placing at least 60 of them in leading IT and ITeS companies.“Our partnership with Nasscom Foundation is driven by a shared mission to equip women with industry-relevant skills and open doors to meaningful careers in tech,” said Kim Allman, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Government Affairs at Gen.These collaborative efforts are beginning to address the imbalance between the number of female STEM graduates and those actually working in STEM.