Indian Women Lead Globally in AI Skills: Stanford AI Index

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 23 December 2025

• Indian women have the highest comparative penetration of AI skills in the world
• The data is obtained from Stanford University Human Centred Artificial Intelligence Index
• The relative AI skill penetration rate of Indian women is 1.9

According to current statistics from the Stanford AI Index, the Indian woman has the highest AI skill penetration globally. Based on the Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence Index report by Stanford University, the relative AI skill penetration rate for Indian women was 1.9.

This implies that AI skill proficiency is approximately twice that of the average ratio and almost twice the overall mean. The test is conducted based on AI-related skills listed by individuals on LinkedIn.

Scoring 1.9, Indian women are better off than their counterparts in a number of developed countries like the United States (1.71), Canada (0.97), and the United Kingdom (0.90). This year's 2025 rating is an improvement compared to last year's rate of 1.61.

In the case of Indians, the penetration rate of AI skills in 2025 was 2.38, which was lower than the previous year’s 2.78. In total, the combined AI skills penetration rate of India was 2.51, ranking the second position in the world, just after the United States which had a rate of 2.63.

According to Aditya Mishra, Managing Director and CEO of CIEL HR, the high penetration of skills related to artificial intelligence among Indian females is due to scale, accessibility, and intentions.

He pointed out that “Women comprise approximately 35-40 percent of the India engineering industry's 1.5 million graduating engineers every year. There is a significantly large pool of women pursuing technical education compared to other economies that focus on artificial intelligence.”

Flexible models of learning have been identified as important factors in raising the participation levels of women, according to a recent report.

The presence of online AI learning courses, as well as a combination of work options, has decreased the need for physical workspaces. Women are now balancing learning with other commitments.

This can be seen in the numbers reported for enrollments. According to College Vidya, an education platform recognized by the UGC, the percentage of female participation in AI courses has improved from 5 percent in 2024 to 20 percent in 2025.

Despite these advancements, there are still gaps within senior ranks. Though organisations are increasingly investing in training women in artificial intelligence at early and mid-level years, women are fewer in leadership and research roles.

According to a combined report by Nasscom and Boston Consulting Group, there was a 64 percent gender divide in leadership roles in India relative to worldwide standards.

Sanketh Chengappa, Director & Business Head for Professional Staffing at Adecco India, shared that women are underrepresented in areas of product, governance, and ethics in AI.

Organisations may have taken up initiatives for inclusivity in leadership and other mentoring initiatives, but senior positions in AI are yet to see more women in leadership roles.

He further added that the hiring of women into AI functions has been rising, but there are varying levels of progress in reaching lead positions.