By Tara Kapur

India holds potential for it to become a global innovation leader, especially due to its large capital of a young working population. As technology becomes the backbone of modern economies, transforming industries, services, governance and everyday lives; harnessing the potential of technology is central to this journey. India has already come to position itself as the fastest growing digital economy, making monumental strides in sectors ranging from digital infrastructure to advancement in space technology. Thus, to fully capitalize on this momentum, India must focus on building a strong STEM workforce.

STEM fields are historically male dominated, both internationally and in India. Although 43% of STEM graduates in India are women, they represent only 14% of the STEM workforce. This stark dropout of women from the STEM workforce further solidifies the existing deep rooted structural issues of gender bias. This exclusion limits the innovation ecosystem as the range of ideas and experiences fail to fully reflect the diverse needs of Indian society. Thus, failing to ultimately produce technologies that are truly socially relevant, inclusive and impactful. 

The challenges that hinder women from entering and advancing in STEM start as early as  childhood where access to primary education is restricted. Societal expectations, lack of financial support, institutional biases, and limited mentorship opportunities make it difficult for women to pursue STEM education and careers. Even for women who successfully enter STEM fields, systemic barriers severely curtail their visibility, progression, and leadership opportunities. Across STEM academia, women continue to be significantly underrepresented. From faculty positions to participation in leadership positions and public discourse, women hold a disproportionately small share. This perpetuates gender inequality and showcases how women are at the margins in major decision-making roles. High attrition rates further compound the issue; many women exit STEM careers midstream due to several structural problems, including lack of mentorship or women role models, unconscious bias in hiring, unwelcoming workplace environment, limited support for work-life balance, unequal pay and limited advancement opportunities . Research states that reducing this disparity will need devoted resources, strong leadership, and a change in people’s perspective in India’s tech ecosystem.

While domestic barriers continue to limit women’s advancement within India’s STEM ecosystem, similar challenges persist when it comes to accessing global opportunities. In a growing interconnected scientific landscape, exposure to research and international networks via research collaborations, academic exchange and professional networks is increasingly critical to staying competitive. Bridging the opportunity gaps on both the domestic and global fronts is important to tap into the full potential of women in the STEM talent pool.

The Government of India has launched several initiatives for women in STEM to promote inclusive growth. The ‘Women in Science and Engineering, KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)’ program provides several fellowships, internships, and international grants to boost women’s participation in STEM in all career stages. ‘Vigyan Jyoti’ is another program that provides exposure to school girls to labs, and also facilitates access to scholarships and mentorship, thus motivating them to pursue STEM. Similarly, the ‘GATI’ framework redirects institutions to adopt better gender-balanced policies. While these efforts provide essential domestic and some international support, broader access to global opportunities remains important. 

Indian students have showcased a strong demand for accessing global opportunities in education, particularly in STEM fields. In the last two years from 2023 to 2025, the number of students going abroad has jumped from 1.3 million to 1.8 million, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The report also mentions the United States as one of the top destinations for students with 70% of them being enrolled in STEM courses. This showcases the ambitions of Indian students for better exposure in global science and technology. However, access to such opportunities is limited due to insubstantial financial backing for a significant pool of students, especially women. This leads to loss of diversity in talent.

Recognising the need of the hour, the Duolingo English Test (DET) team, in partnership with the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, is proud to have launched the DETermined Scholarship: Empowering Indian Women in STEM. This scholarship seeks to promote inclusivity and increase access to global STEM education. It will provide an Indian woman with the opportunity to study a STEM program in the United States, while also encouraging them to return to India and innovate for their own country. This program encourages scholars to bring back global insights and networks, thus investing in  the future of India’s tech ecosystem. 

Varsha Simpadipura Prasanna is the recipient of the inaugural edition of the DETermined Scholarship. A student from Purdue University, Varsha exhibited a unique voice and a desire to pursue STEM not just as a personal endeavour but as a means to create meaningful social change. This was highlighted in her proposal Rural Connect, a voice-first, multilingual digital platform to break the “information isolation” faced by farming communities. With features like real-time mandi price and weather updates, an equipment rental marketplace, localised skill-building videos and connections to veterinarians or AI assistants, the platform is designed to function even in low-internet areas. The project aims to reach half a million farmers within three years, creating scalable pathways for rural resilience.

Ensuring equal access to STEM opportunities is not only a matter of equity but also a strategic imperative as India forges its path of becoming a global leader in innovation. ‘The Age of AI’ requires diverse voices, not only ensuring gender representation but also inclusivity across region, religion, class, etc. This will further lead to empowerment of women and underrepresented communities through artificial intelligence. By actively investing in the participation and growth of underserved communities in STEM, we can build a more inclusive, competitive, and forward-looking innovation ecosystem for India.