TLDR: Recent reports indicate a substantial increase in women’s participation and preference for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning careers in India. While a specific ‘College Vidya report’ detailing a 4x growth from 5% to 20% in AI/ML enrollments for women in 2025 was not directly sourced, data from byteXL and Coursera confirms a strong upward trend, with women demonstrating a notable commitment to deep tech fields and outpacing men in GenAI enrollment growth.
India’s deep tech sector is witnessing a remarkable surge, with women engineers increasingly at the forefront of this transformation, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). While an exact ‘College Vidya report’ detailing a four-fold growth in women’s AI and ML enrollments from 5% in 2024 to 20% in 2025 could not be directly verified, other prominent industry reports strongly corroborate the trend of escalating female engagement in these critical technological domains.
According to the byteXL AI and Engineering Jobs Report 2025, women engineering students in India are exhibiting a robust and early commitment to careers in emerging technologies like AI and ML. This report, based on behavioral insights from over 100,000 students (62,000 male and 38,000 female) utilizing byteXL’s learning platforms, highlights that 40% of female students reached the final stage of career track selection, surpassing the 35% of male students. Notably, among those who selected a career path, women showed a strong preference for AI and machine learning. The report also underscores a significant trend of rising AI/ML career preferences among students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with interest soaring to 37.9% among Tier 2 students and a striking 53.9% among those from Tier 3 colleges, compared to 16% in Tier 1 cities. Karun Tadepalli, CEO and Co-founder of byteXL, commented on this, stating, ‘Engineering continues to be a pathway to a better life. The fact that young women are excelling shows their determination and resolve to make a mark.’ He added that today’s engineering students are ‘more intentional about their choices’ and are ‘strategic about diversifying their skills and keeping their options open’ due to the disruptive role of agentic AI.
Further reinforcing this trend, Coursera’s ‘Closing the Gender Gap in GenAI Skills’ playbook, released in March 2025, reveals that India is a global leader in AI adoption. In 2024, Coursera recorded a fourfold increase in GenAI enrollments from India, totaling 1.3 million AI enrollments – the highest worldwide. Significantly, GenAI course enrollments by Indian women learners grew by an impressive 296%, outpacing the 191% growth rate observed among men. Despite this rapid growth, women still constitute 29.6% of total GenAI enrollments in India, even though they represent 40% of all learners on the platform. The Coursera report emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable access to GenAI opportunities and empower more women to lead in the AI-driven era. It also highlights that women are six times more likely to enroll in beginner-level GenAI courses than intermediate ones, suggesting a confidence gap. However, a BCG report cited within the playbook indicates that 90% of Indian women view GenAI as crucial for career growth, and a high percentage across all management levels are willing to invest more time in AI learning.
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These findings collectively paint a picture of India’s evolving technological landscape, where women are increasingly becoming key drivers of innovation and talent in the burgeoning fields of AI and Machine Learning.
