Job application by women in hardware engineering industry rises 26% in 2024: Report

The hardware engineering industry in India witnessed a 26 per cent year-on-year rise in job applications by women in 2024, indicating a shift in the gender’s participation in generally male-dominated domains, a report said on Monday. In 2024 calendar year, applications by men for hardware engineering jobs grew by 19 per cent as compared to 2023, according to a report by a tech-enabled recruitment platform for blue and grey-collar talent, WorkIndia. “This growth isn’t just statistical, it’s symbolic. The 26 per cent growth in female participation in hardware engineering roles isn’t just a number, it’s a testament to the changing landscape of India’s tech industry. As women break into core tech fields once dominated by men, we’re seeing a shift that will define the future of engineering. This is a pivotal moment for diversity and innovation,” WorkIndia CEO and co-founder Nilesh Dungarwal said, quoting the report.

The report by tech-enabled recruitment platform for blue and grey-collar talent, WorkIndia, is based on an analysis of 33.46 lakh job applications on its platform during 2023 and 2024.

Further, it revealed that the rise in women’s engagement is complemented by broader trends such as a spike in part-time applications, expanding tech participation across tier-III cities.

However, the report found that hardware engineering roles are thriving in tier I markets with a 30 per cent job supply increase.

While hardware engineering has long been seen as a male preserve, the recent uptick in women’s participation, both in job supply and demand, signals a crucial turning point for gender diversity in core engineering roles, the report stated. According to the platform’s latest data, overall tech job postings rose by 11 per cent, but hardware engineering saw the most aggressive expansion, witnessing a 26 per cent surge in listings.