FLO Calls for Greater Inclusion of Women in STEM to Achieve ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ Vision
New Delhi, Oct 30 (TheTrendingPeople.com): The FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), an apex body representing businesswomen across India, has underscored that the inclusion and advancement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is not just an issue of social justice but a strategic necessity for achieving national innovation, economic competitiveness, and the ambitious ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision.
According to a recent report by FLO, India’s most underutilised strategic resource is its growing pool of qualified women in STEM disciplines — a demographic that holds immense potential to transform the nation’s innovation landscape.
India Leads in Female STEM Graduates but Lags in Workforce Participation
Sharing the findings, Poonam Sharma, National President of FLO, highlighted a paradox: while India ranks among the world’s top countries in terms of female STEM education, women’s representation in professional STEM careers remains alarmingly low.
“India is a global leader in producing female STEM graduates, with women constituting approximately 43 per cent of total enrolments in STEM. However, only 14 per cent transition into STEM careers,” Sharma said.
This gap, often referred to as the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon, represents a massive loss of human capital and a direct impediment to innovation and productivity.
“In critical Research and Development (R&D) establishments, women account for only 16.6 per cent of the workforce,” Sharma added, stressing that this underrepresentation comes with high economic costs for the country.
Economic Potential of Gender Parity in STEM
The FLO report also cited studies suggesting that increasing women’s participation in the labour force could significantly boost India’s GDP.
“Promoting women’s entrepreneurship alone has the potential to create 150–170 million jobs by 2030,” Sharma said, adding that inclusion in high-growth sectors like technology, AI, biotechnology, and space sciences could fast-track India’s innovation capacity.
The report argues that gender equality in STEM is not just a matter of fairness but a national development imperative, capable of enhancing India’s position as a global technology hub.
FLO Study Identifies Systemic Barriers
According to FLO’s research, the underrepresentation of women in STEM is rooted in deep-seated structural and social barriers. The study outlines several factors contributing to the “leaky pipeline,” including:
- Entrenched socio-cultural norms that discourage women from pursuing long-term careers in STEM.
- The disproportionate burden of unpaid care work that limits women’s availability for full-time professional roles.
- Persistent workplace biases and the prevalence of the “glass ceiling” that restrict career advancement.
“These barriers are compounded by institutional challenges — such as lack of flexible work policies, inadequate mentorship, and gender stereotypes in leadership roles — all of which collectively impede women’s professional progress,” the report noted.
Role Models and Government Support
Despite these challenges, the FLO report pointed to emerging signs of progress through targeted government schemes, visible female role models, and an evolving startup ecosystem.
“Government initiatives like WISE-KIRAN, GATI, and DST Women Scientists Programme have begun to create new pathways for women in STEM,” Sharma said.
She also highlighted the inspirational power of women scientists at ISRO, whose achievements in landmark missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and Mangalyaan have encouraged a new generation of women to pursue careers in science and technology.
In addition, the Startup India initiative and the rapid growth of the deep-tech ecosystem have opened new entrepreneurial opportunities for women innovators and technologists.
FLO’s Key Recommendations
To bridge the gap between education and employment for women in STEM, FLO put forth a series of actionable recommendations aimed at both policymakers and industry leaders. These include:
- Bridging the Education-Employment Gap: Creating structured pathways that enable female STEM graduates to transition into workforce roles through mentorship, internships, and return-to-work programmes.
- Gender-Disaggregated Data and Pay Gap Reporting: Mandating organizations to publish gender-segregated workforce data and disclose pay gaps to improve transparency and accountability.
- Dedicated ‘Deep-Tech Women’s Fund’: Establishing a specialized fund to promote women-led startups and research ventures in cutting-edge fields such as AI, robotics, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
- Flexible Work Ecosystems: Encouraging workplaces to adopt family-friendly and hybrid work policies that support women balancing professional and domestic responsibilities.
- Visibility and Mentorship: Promoting successful women in STEM as mentors, educators, and leaders to inspire future generations.
“Viksit Bharat 2047” and the Need for Gender Equity
FLO’s statement aligns with the broader national goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, an initiative that envisions India as a developed nation by its 100th year of independence.
Experts argue that this vision cannot be realized without gender inclusivity in innovation and technology sectors, which form the backbone of India’s growth story.
“India’s journey towards a knowledge-based economy must include women at every level of innovation,” Sharma emphasized. “The future of ‘Viksit Bharat’ depends on the equitable participation of women in shaping technologies, policies, and research that define tomorrow.”
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
The FLO report serves as a wake-up call for both government and industry — underscoring that empowering women in STEM is not just about equality, but about unlocking the country’s full economic and intellectual potential.
As India strides toward the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision, women’s participation in science, technology, and entrepreneurship will be pivotal in shaping an inclusive, innovative, and globally competitive nation.
Bridging the STEM gender gap is no longer a choice — it is an economic and developmental necessity for the India of tomorrow.