95% women ready to lead the AI era: Report
Drawing on insights from women professionals across IT, GCCs, and emerging tech sectors, an ANSR-Talent 500 report examines how AI is reshaping leadership pipelines and redefining career trajectories.
A women in technology report from ANSR, in collaboration with Talent500, highlights that 95% of women would consider transitioning into an AI-focused role with the right organisational support, with 58% giving a definitive yes, highlighting a massive, untapped reservoir of talent ready to fill the AI skills gap.
The study titled “Rethinking Opportunity, Equity & the Future of Work: The Evolving Landscape for Women in Technology in the Age of AI– 2026 draws insights from women professionals in IT/ITES, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), startups, and product companies across India.
The report said that India produces 43% of the world’s female STEM graduates—the largest pipeline globally, yet women hold nearly 29% of entry-level tech roles and a mere 14% of C-suite seats. It dismantles the ‘‘pipeline myth’ by pointing out that the gap is not in the talent, but in the systems around it.
It emphasises that AI is the most powerful lever for bridging the gap, if organisations are willing to use it with intent.
Key insights from the report include:
- 64% respondents say AI adoption has accelerated their path to senior roles, with AI capability emerging as a significant career differentiator from tenure or traditional performance metrics
- 95% of women would consider transitioning into an AI-focused role with the right organisational support, with 58% giving a definitive yes.
- 65% of respondents are optimistic about their AI opportunities, with 36% identifying as very optimistic, signalling a workforce eager to lead the next wave of tech transformation
- 69% of women report that AI has opened new career pathways, indicating strong momentum in AI-enabled career advancement, including product strategy, AI governance, and transformation leadership roles.
- India’s GCCs are showing relatively stronger gender representation with women holding approximately 16–17% of the nearly 6,500 total leadership roles. However, there remains a significant gap, with around a 40% drop in representation from entry-level to senior leadership.
Smitha Hemmigae, Managing Director, ANSR, said, “The 2026 insights highlight a clear pattern - the AI readiness is here, and the optimism is real. The capability is building at scale. What separates the organisations that lead in the next decade from those that fall behind is how leaders actively embed equity into their AI transformation or treat it as secondary. India’s GCC ecosystem has a game-changing opportunity to set the global standard. The question is whether it seizes it.”
Monica Jamwal, Managing Director, Talent Solutions, ANSR & Talent500, commented, “AI proficiency is defining the leadership advantage, and women in tech are quickly scaling it. 64% of respondents credit AI adoption for accelerating their path to leadership roles, hence proving, competence is overtaking tenure as a major differentiator. For GCCs specifically, the imperative is three-fold: formalise sponsorship with accountability, ensure equitable access to high impact AI projects, and building governance frameworks that reflect the diversity of the talent shaping India’s AI future.”