Women from research and academia come together and inspire on TCS’ Women’s Day Panel around women in STEM

Mumbai, March 9, 2022: Tata Consultancy Services, dedicated to the cause of ensuring equal opportunity and diversity in the workplace, conducted a panel discussion on International Women’s Day. Scientists from TCS Research and Innovation and India’s leading institutes shared their experiences on what a career in research looks like, how to tackle the gender gap through initiatives, and the importance of diversity at the workplace.

Women scientists play an indispensable role at the forefront in both industry and academic settings. They advance knowledge in the wider scientific community and work on sustainable solutions for industry and society. India has the highest number of women graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at 43%; and yet only 14% of the 280,000 scientists, engineers and technologists employed in research institutions in the country are women, according to a 2020 UN report.  

At 36.8%, the participation of women in TCS’ workforce is significantly higher than the participation rate recorded in India. This is a testament to TCS’ focus on human development. At the International Women’s Day Panel, moderated by Kritika Saxena (Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, TCS), scientists and researchers elaborated on areas of their research, the importance of mentorship in their careers, and the steps to be taken to increase the number of women in science and research. Panelists for the virtual discussion included Dr. Varsha Apte (Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Bombay), Dr. Vijayalakshmi Mahadevan (Professor, Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology), Dr. Lipika Dey (Principal Scientist, TCS Research) and Dr. Swadha Anand (Senior Scientist, TCS Research).

“I think as a woman or a man in research, you have to keep abreast of whatever new technologies are coming into place and how do you upskill yourself pertaining to those technologies. There are various things that are required as far as being a researcher is concerned. You have to spend more time thinking and when you do hands-on work, you have to be really passionate about what you are doing. When there are hurdles, you have to keep making yourself strong and believing in yourself to really take it forward. When you are pulled down, you should be able to pull yourself up and there will be many people there to help you with it”, said Dr. Swadha Anand, senior Scientist, TCS Research, when asked about what advice she would share with women pursuing a career in science or research.

“In TCS, we know that over the years, technology has played a big role in ensuring transparency in every step of the journey of research. There is enough number of schemes, but perhaps not enough women know about these schemes to include more women in research. TCS has taken a big step towards advertising all the positions in technology and leadership that are open anywhere. Technology also plays a big role with social media and constant connectivity. It helps enable ourselves to remain updated with what is happening,” said Dr. Lipika Dey, Principal Scientist, TCS.

“In order for women to thrive in science and take up science as a career, organizational support is very important. Young women are stuck by socio-psychological factors which make them pursue a family life. Women need to be encouraged to take up science through fellowships and scholarships. The fear that science is a very long pursuit and takes years to launch your career also exists. Organizations need to come together and take multi-dimensional action to change the institutional culture as a whole to attract and retain women in sciences. Institutions should foster a more collaborative, supportive scientific community,” said Dr. Vijayalakshmi Mahadevan, Professor, Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology.

"At IIT Bombay, at undergraduate and postgraduate level there are approximately 15-20 per cent women students. At PhD STEM, we have 30 per cent women PhD students and then at the faculty level it goes down to 15 per cent. It is a leaky pipeline that women are pursuing PhDs, but then they are not choosing research careers." shared Dr. Varsha Apte, Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, IIT Bombay.