Indian job postings for women grow 19% as reports highlight the massive economic potential of bridging the wealth gap

Representation of women in job postings in India rose 19% year-on-year, with hiring expanding across senior roles, higher salary brackets, emerging technology positions and tier II markets, a report said on Friday.

Women's representation in job postings in India grew 19% year-on-year, marking one of the strongest expansions in recent years, according to Women in the Indian Workforce 2026, a hiring trends report released by foundit.

A notable shift in employer intent was witnessed as women are increasingly being hired across seniority levels, higher salary bands, emerging technology roles, and Tier II markets, it added. However, this push for higher salary bands comes against the backdrop of a persistent gender wage and participation gap. According to a March 2026 report by Lxme and EY India, women currently earn just Rs 73 for every Rs 100 earned by men, and only 41.7% of working-age women participate in the labour force compared to 78.8% of men.

"We are seeing encouraging momentum in how women are being hired across India. Opportunities are expanding beyond entry-level roles into senior positions, higher salary brackets, and growing talent hubs across tier II cities. While a large share of openings still falls below Rs 10 LPA, the broader trend indicates that access to diverse and higher-value roles for women is steadily improving," foundit VP - Marketing Anupama Bhimrajka said.

Improving access to these higher-value roles and subsequent wealth creation is critical for the broader economy; the March 2026 Lxme-EY report estimates that enabling women’s participation in long-term financial investments could unlock a cumulative GDP-equivalent opportunity of Rs 40 lakh crore.

The 'Women in the Indian Workforce 2026' report is based on job-posting trends between February 2025 and February 2026 on the foundit platform. Further, the report revealed that geographically, women-represented opportunities are expanding beyond metro cities. Tier II and III locations now account for 44% of job postings featuring women's representation, up from 41% in 2025, while tier I cities make up the remaining 56%, down from 59%. Within this, women-preferred postings in tier II cities grew 22% year-on-year, with cities such as Jaipur, Coimbatore, Indore, and Kochi emerging among the fastest-growing hubs.

Functionally, the report revealed that the talent mix is shifting toward roles closer to technology, revenue generation, and decision-making. Women's representation increased in IT to 34% from 32% in the previous year, especially in Data and Analytics. Sales and business development grew to 16%, while Marketing and Communications saw a similar uptick to 16%, it said.

However, areas where women have traditionally been concentrated recorded slight declines, with Customer Service/BPO dropping to 10% from 12% and Human Resources to 20% from 21% last year.

Meanwhile, women representation in emerging tech roles grew to 31% from 26% in the previous year. As the demand-supply gap narrows, organisations are more effectively converting education into employment, pointing to a more inclusive tech ecosystem ahead, it added.

Despite these positive trends in corporate tech hiring, women stepping into entrepreneurial and founder roles within the ecosystem continue to face severe capital imbalances. A March 2026 report by Kalaari Capital’s CXXO initiative revealed that women founders receive just Rs 4 for every Rs 100 raised by men from elite startup networks. Furthermore, women-led MSMEs face a credit gap of over $158 billion, highlighting the stark contrast between growing corporate inclusion and persistent entrepreneurial funding barriers.

(With inputs from PTI)