Women: India’s Silent Powerhouses Taking Us Into the Future

DR. KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW

As we celebrate our Prime Minister’s 75^th milestone in life, we are reminded of his pledge that India cannot become a developed nation without the full participation of women. His launch of the Swasth Nari Shashakt Parivar Abhiyaan captures a profound truth: “If the mother stays healthy, then the whole house stays well. If a mother falls ill, the entire family’s system crumbles.” This recognition—that women’s wellbeing is the foundation of our national progress—is at the heart of India’s development journey.

Women at the Heart of India’s Growth Story

Women are not just participants in this journey; they are its drivers. Across labs, clinical wards, farms, and biotech start-ups, silent yet powerful achievements are shaping our future. Consider the 10 lakh ASHA workers who form the backbone of India’s primary healthcare system, often the first responders during outbreaks. Or the women scientists at ICMR, NIV, and AIIMS who, in 2020, helped isolate SARS-CoV-2—paving the way for India’s indigenous vaccines that led to over 2 billion vaccinations undertaken through the world’s largest immunization drive[1].

62.9% of female workers in India work in agriculture[2], many now trained in deploying biotech-based solutions for drought resilience and crop protection. In biotech entrepreneurship, women are leading startups in affordable diagnostics, genomics, and vaccine innovation. These are not isolated stories; they are the living proof of India’s Nari Shakti.

Policy & Institutional Push

Government initiatives have been pivotal in unlocking this potential. From Beti Bachao Beti Padhao to Mission Shakti, from the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam ensuring women’s representation in Parliament, to economic empowerment through Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand-Up India, and Jan Dhan Yojana—the architecture for women-driven development is firmly in place.

• Over 54 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened, with women holding nearly 56% of them[3]—a scale of financial inclusion rarely seen worldwide.
• Under the Mudra Yojana, nearly 70% of the 43 crore loans have been disbursed to women entrepreneurs[4].
• The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will soon ensure that one-third of Parliament seats are reserved for women—guaranteeing their voice in shaping policy.

Science, Technology & Innovation: India in the Global Context

In science and technology, Indian women are literally reaching for the stars. At ISRO, women scientists were mission directors for Chandrayaan-2 and the Mars Orbiter Mission, showcasing India’s rise as a space power.

Crucially, India leads the world in women’s participation in STEM education:

• 43% of STEM graduates in India are women, compared with 34% in the United States, 32% in the European Union, and 33% in the OECD average.
• Yet, only 19% of scientists, engineers, and technologists are directly engaged in R&D in scientific establishments, highlighting the urgent need to convert education gains into workplace representation[5].

Government programmes like BioCARe and WISE-KIRAN have enabled women scientists returning from career breaks to resume innovation. Recently, BIRAC celebrated 75+ women biotech entrepreneurs, signalling the arrival of a new generation of leaders. Globally, women hold just less than 20% of biotech leadership positions, showing how India’s progress can set benchmarks for inclusivity in science entrepreneurship.

Looking Ahead: Women at the Frontier

The future of science-led development will be shaped by women advancing genomics, molecular diagnostics, biologics, and precision therapies. They will lead biotech supply chains, regulatory ecosystems, and grassroots health delivery networks, ensuring affordable therapies reach even the remotest villages.

My own journey—from a garage lab to building a global biologics enterprise—has taught me that innovation is not born in boardrooms alone. It emerges from the grassroots, powered by perseverance: the technician, the post-doc, the health worker. When given opportunity and recognition, their impact is exponential.

A Pivot Moment for India

The biotech revolution, health security, food resilience, and new frontiers of space and digital technologies will define India’s rise in the decades ahead. The Prime Minister’s vision is clear: women are not to be seen as beneficiaries, but as co-architects of this future.

Call to Action

Now is the time for leadership across sectors to ensure that women scientists, nurses, health workers, and entrepreneurs are fully visible, fully resourced, and fully empowered. When that happens, India will not just meet its pledge—it will exceed global expectations. Because a future built by all of us, and led by women, will be unstoppable.

(A PIB feature)

[1] CoWIN dashboard

[2] Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021-22

[3] PIB, Ministry of Finance, 2025

[4] PIB, Prime Ministers Office, 2025

[5] Research & Development Statistics (DST), 2021