Forget stereotypes! Indian women are revolutionizing the tech industry. Explore the journeys of strong Indian women like Dr. Tessy Thomas and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, then meet rising stars like Upasana Taku. Discover how women are shaping the future of Indian tech.
Today women employees account for about 30% of the Indian IT sector. They form the highest percentage of members of the workforce in any sector in India. It is a big deal since it reflects that women can do the same as men in high-level jobs in tech companies. They’re not only working for tech companies but also growing businesses on their own to become leaders.
People are finally realizing the fact that being good with tech isn't based on your gender, it is instead based on your brain and your passion.
The tech industry is no longer male-dominated in India. We've had a notable increase in women who have created their way in this massive industry. They're building the next big thing in Indian technology. It isn't just about high-end technology or the latest innovations, it is also about the people behind them, especially the women who are changing the demographics of this field. On Women’s Day, we are going to travel through the remarkable impacts the women have been making!
Dr. Tessy Thomas has had an extraordinary ride over the years at the Defence Research and Development Organization as she is famously known as 'The Missile Of India'. She’s mostly known for the work she has done on the Agni series of missiles. As the first Indian woman scientist who first undertook the missile project leader role, she shattered previously held gender barriers within the field that male scientists had traditionally dominated.
Ritu Karidhal holds the title of the “Rocket Woman of India”. She was the Mission Director of Chandrayaan-2, which was the second lunar exploration mission of India as well. She played a vital role in the mission. Ritu’s space passion started in childhood, leaning on the sky while being overwhelmed with a multitude of questions about the universe. She joined ISRO in 1997 on her first assignment for the spacecraft Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan, and later led the Chandrayaan-24.
Aside from being a global inspiration, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is without a doubt an intriguing personality. She had to begin Biocon by herself with the garage of her rented home and 10000 rupees as the initial capital. As of now, Biocon is one of the biggest biopharmaceutical companies in Asia. Biocon has made many key moves in the medical industry. The organization has a reputation for innovation and has set up numerous plants to produce cheaper drugs in both developing and developed countries. She appeared on the Forbes list of 68 powerful women in 2019 and she scooped the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2020.
Upasana Taku, the co-founder of Mobikwik, started her business in 2009. Taku graduated in industrial engineering and management science and then came up with a way of simplifying digital payments in India. She might not be the first female CEO in the country, but her achievements with MobiKwik have brought not only success for her company but also attention to her struggle against all the odds in the new male-dominated sector. She was chosen by Forbes Asia to be on the list of 25 female individuals who added value to the Asian business sphere in 2019.
A young woman named Anisha Singh came up with Mydala, an e-commerce platform in 2009. However, Mydala's journey started with some initial challenges but it soon became a leading coupon and discount marketing platform in India. While Singh was in the United States, she mainly worked with the Clinton administration to enable women entrepreneurs to access the funding they needed. She went back to India to help set up mydala which operates in over 100 cities in India and UAE now. Anisha also started She Capital, which was oriented on investments in women-led ventures.
Shradha Sharma is the founder of YourStory, a media portal that shares the success stories of aspiring entrepreneurs. YourStory is known as the biggest source of knowledge in India concerning startup stories, relevant resources, and reliable research reports. Sharma’s project is not only a platform for creators but also an incentive for start-ups and investors. She has been honored for her impact on the startup community and through mentorship and investment still remains a notable name.
While the stories of successful women in tech in India are inspiring, the rise of women in Indian tech is about more than just individual success stories. It is about a fundamental shift that is taking place in the industry. The combined wisdom of different minds produces solutions that are more creative and far-reaching. The future of the Indian tech industry is set to be even more vibrant and diverse with the talent this nation has.