Tech Education: Women's Enrolment Rises Fourfold In 3 Years
Alongside, demand for artificial intelligence programmes has risen by more than 500 per cent in two years.
Hyderabad:A quiet shift is taking shape in the country’s technical education, where women now account for 17 per cent of STEM enrolments, up from just 4 per cent in 2022. Alongside, demand for artificial intelligence programmes has risen by more than 500 per cent in two years.
The findings, drawn from College Vidya’s 2025 enrolment insights, which are based on over 1.25 lakh enrolments since 2017 and 1,000 daily counselling sessions, show a widening base of individuals entering advanced fields. Nearly two-thirds of learners are working professionals, while 30 per cent are fresh graduates. The rest include homemakers and passionate learners, many from tier-2 and tier-3 towns moving to bigger cities for advanced study.
Women’s share in AI/ML master’s courses has climbed from 5 per cent in 2024 to 20 per cent this year. They comprise 23.4 per cent of MCA cybersecurity cohorts and 15 per cent of doctoral candidates in generative AI. In basic sciences, representation has touched 40 per cent compared with barely 10 per cent in 2019.
For students, role models matter as much as affordability. “I chose cyber security because I could see women leading teams in my city. That visibility gave me confidence that this is not off-limits,” said Divya R., a 22-year-old intern in the city.
Faculty say the spread beyond metros is one of the most striking features. “According to the study, sourthern states continue to lead, but states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are fast catching up. It shows that smaller towns are no longer waiting for opportunities to come to them,” said a Hyderabad-based academic counsellor Anirudh Chakravarty.
However, some others view the rise as overdue. “Companies have long struggled with skewed gender ratios in AI and data teams. This pool of learners will be crucial in correcting that imbalance over the next decade,” said Raghav Oddi, a recruiter from city now hiring from Singapore.
Challenges persist, including patchy school-level exposure to science and interruptions due to marriage or family expectations. Yet many argue that the pipeline of women in leadership-oriented tracks such as AI project management is stronger than ever. The conversation, they note, has shifted from whether women will enter deep tech, to how soon they will lead it.
