According to Indeed’s latest hiring tracker, India’s deep tech sector continues to face a persistent gender gap, with 43% of companies reporting that they continue to have difficulty hiring women for entry-level roles in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The research, conducted across fields such as AI/ML, data science and cybersecurity, highlights the structural challenges in recruitment and career advancement that limit women’s participation at all levels.
At the entry stage itself, representation remains low. Almost half of the employers surveyed said women make up only 0-10% of their entry-level hires in deep technology roles. Notably, no organization reported more than 50% women at any level of seniority.
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The findings suggest that the problem is not a lack of interest from female candidates. Active job search remained steady, with 43% of women reporting applying for a job in the last quarter, up slightly from 42% the previous quarter.
However, career growth appears to be uneven. About 38% of employers said women take longer to reach mid-level positions than men, leading to a widening representation gap over time.
Perceptions regarding salaries also remain divided. Approximately 32% of employees believe that colleagues of the opposite sex earn more for similar work. This includes 34% of women who think men are paid more, compared to 31% of men who think women are paid more. At senior levels, while 67% of employers claim there is no gender pay gap, 27% of employees feel that the gap actually increases with seniority.
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Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India, said, “While STEM education is a prerequisite, differences in assessment processes and actual workplace constraints can impact how opportunities are captured. Identifying these structural challenges is an essential step for organizations that want to effectively attract and retain skilled talent in high-demand fields such as AI and robotics.”
The report also identifies gaps in workplace policies. 44% of companies say they conduct internal pay parity reviews, but only 14% have made compensation adjustments to date.
Meanwhile, employees are demanding more transparency. Some 67% of respondents said clear pay scales would help improve equity, 51% cited the need for clear promotion criteria, and 47% emphasized an unbiased evaluation system.
Differences in negotiation behavior also emerged. While male candidates were found to be more likely to negotiate salary, 23% of women said they would accept a lower increase of 10% or less, a factor that can impact long-term earnings.
“In high-skilled fields like deep tech, our latest research found a gap between qualifications and compensation, with only 42% of female candidates feeling that their latest job opening fully reflected their professional skill set,” Kumar added.
The study was conducted by ValuVox on behalf of Indeed and surveyed 3,667 respondents, including 1,229 employers, 2,438 employees and job seekers across multiple industries and job categories in India.
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