The Key To India’s AI Growth: Gender Inclusivity
In August, Natasha Malpani — a former partner at Kae Capital — launched Boundless Ventures, a Rs 200 crore early-stage venture capital fund to back Indian AI-native startups. Bear in mind, sector-focused VC funds are not all that common and focusing on artificial intelligence is certainly a bold bet.
Earlier in April, former Meta India head Kirthiga Reddy announced AI Kiran to nurture future women leaders in AI. The platform combines mentorship, access to funding, and blockchain-verified recognition to build an AI community for women across domains.
The CXXO NoCeiling Summit 2025, to be held in partnership with TiECon Delhi in October, will also focus on AI and technology and why women are central to the conversation. CXXO is an initiative by Vani Kola-led Kalaari Capital and focuses on championing the next generation of women-founder CEOs.
Such initiatives are welcome in a field that’s touted as the technology of the future, but where women are underrepresented and struggle to gain VC funding.
India’s AI market is projected to triple to $17 billion by 2027, according to the Boston Consulting Group. And the country accounts for 16% of the global AI talent pool, second only to the US.
But the share of women in India’s AI talent pool is just 28%, according to analysis by Inc42, Nasscom, and GitHub. And despite India having the second-largest female enrollment in GenAI in the world, women represent only 29.6% of total GenAI learners in India, highlights the Coursera report, Closing the Gender Gap in GenAI Skills.
Some of the factors behind the disparity are an unconscious bias in hiring, a crisis of confidence, lack of role models and mentorship, as well as limited skilling opportunities and workplace support for women.
The presence of women in this field is critical as diverse perspectives can enable more accurate data models. There are examples of startups that overlooked women’s healthcare or fintech needs as they relied on male-dominated datasets. Having an inclusive approach can enhance product development, which can translate into greater customer satisfaction across the board and higher revenue for the startup.
It will be exciting to see the trajectory of these initiatives as they help bridge the gap and enable women to enter the field, while accelerating overall AI development.