The second Panel Discussion “Women in the tech world’ focused on how women are progressing and in some cases excelling in the tech world today. The panelists who have been the leading executives and entrepreneurs shared their insights on this. The discussion, again moderated by Shweta Berry, provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for women in the IT industry.
MODERATOR: Ms. Shaweta Berry, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at Mahanadaya Universal Consultancy Private Ltd.
PANELISTS: Ms. Anita Kukreja, Head – Strategic Alliances & Brand, IceWarp India; Ms. Archana Goel, Global Head of Information Technology at Oxford Policy Management Ltd; Ms. Sarika Gulyani, Director, and Head-ICT, Mobile Manufacturing, New Age Technologies & FICCI-ILIA Division, FICCI; and Ms. Sudha J, Head of CSR operations, BHB (PAN India) CSR at Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd
SPECIAL NOTE by Ms. Sarika Gulyani, Director, and Head-ICT, Mobile Manufacturing, New Age Technologies & FICCI-ILIA Division, FICCI
“Today, India is the 5th largest economy and one of the digital-first countries with a great demographic dividend with the largest pools of young people ahead of China. IT and Telecom is one of the largest contributors to the Indian economy which also places us at the top of innovation and digitization. Women participation globally in tech is 28%, but in India it is 36%, which means we are above global average. 43% of the STEM graduates are women in India, but only 2% reach the top positions, which needs to improve. It has been observed globally that the companies with gender diversity and increasing women participation are more profitable and productive than others. To put it in a nutshell, when the participation of women increases, it will definitely improve the economy and the ecosystem as a whole.”
MODERATOR: Ms. Shaweta Berry of Mahanadaya Universal Consultancy Private Ltd
“Today, 43% in the tech and higher education are women, but only 2% reach the top boardrooms. Though there are big gaps, women’s participation at the top has been steadily increasing. Here, we have highly experienced and qualified panelists in the discussion. I want the panelists to cast light on how women are faring in the tech industry today, outlook for the coming years, and the challenges and opportunities. I also request them to discuss how women can overcome the common challenges; improve their digital education and skills; and succeed.”
PANELIST: Ms. Anita Kukreja, Head – Strategic Alliances & Brand, IceWarp India
“When I started my career in early 2000s and we at IceWarp were the first to launch Managed Cloud Services which was rare concept and service in those days. Today, this service has evolved and advanced to new levels. Covid has taken the digital transformation several steps forward. Today, many software apps and services are being developed in India and exported globally. India has become a hub of SaaS. Mobile apps have become common tools for daily activities such as booking tickets, ordering food, etc. To move up in their careers, women need to keep themselves digitally educated and up-to-date.”
PANELIST: Ms. Archana Goel, Global Head of Information Technology at Oxford Policy Management Ltd
“Way back in 1990s, when I started my career, women were preferred only in the basic level jobs such as typists, data entry operators, receptionists, teachers, etc. Though I passed my education in programming in distinction, I was just teaching and training others in a leading manufacturing company I joined. Later I got the opportunity to move up in the hierarchy, but I was the only female lead among all the top level IT professionals in the company where all others were men. Though things have changed a lot today, there is still a big gap between the number educated women and their proportion in the management. Still there are prejudices like women are not suitable to perform in high level jobs.”
Ms. Sarika Gulyani, Director, and Head-ICT, Mobile Manufacturing, New Age Technologies & FICCI-ILIA Division, FICCI
“In India today still 70% of the population lives in rural areas and smaller towns which were difficult to reach physically to provide services, but today’s technology has drastically reduced the barriers. Now we have software that can give education in native languages. AI, becoming omnipresent, offers a lot of opportunities particularly to women. The jobs such as regional language content creators, linguistic researchers, translators, interpreters, counselors, and editors, are more convenient to women which they can perform from homes. Most women find freelancing, remote working, hybrid working etc more convenient. To sum up, I would say that today technology is a game-changer when it comes to empowering women, which they should make best use of. For this, they need to upgrade their skills and stay up-to-date. Those women who are fortunate enough to reach higher levels, should motivate others to make best use of the opportunities.”
PANELIST: Ms. Sudha J, Head of CSR operations, BHB (PAN India) CSR at Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd
“When I started my career 25 years back, IT was at its incipient stage—there were only a few computers, typing was still done on manual or electric typewriters. Then came computers, laptops, Internet, etc which changed everything. I kept on upgrading myself to meet the changing demands of the industry. At Apollo, most of the activities are digitized and the remaining activities are being rapidly digitized. Robotic surgeries, telemedicine, online counselling have the hospital to reduce downtimes and deliver services quickly even to the patients in the rural areas. My job at Apollo Hospitals is taking care CSR which has been my passion and pleasure. Technology definitely helps women, as much as it helps men, to level up their careers. Women need to improve their digital skills to level up in their careers!”
In a nutshell
Government initiatives, specialized academic training programs and business inclusion policies are driving greater female representation in the industry. The growth of digitalization and the expansion of technologies such as AI and cloud computing are generating new opportunities for women in the ICT sector. It is essential for the women become digitally literate and skilled to make best use of the opportunities in the industry. Having the industry-demanding skills and a positive mindset will allow wome move forward despite the challenges.
Covered By: Mobility India / Panel Discussion
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