According to a report by Careernet, women's participation in flexible roles within the IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) sector has reached 40% in the fiscal year 2026, marking a 10 percentage point increase from 30% in fiscal year 2022. The report, titled 'Women in IT/ITeS: Trends in Contractual/Flexi Roles,' indicates that women are increasingly taking on core business roles, with 43% in finance and accounting and 34% in data science and analytics. The analysis is based on an annual sample of 3,000 placements in contractual positions and compares data across the last four fiscal years. Geographically, participation remains concentrated in major metro hubs, with Bengaluru leading at 21%, followed by Hyderabad at 20% and Pune at 17%. Notably, only 11% of women's participation comes from Tier II cities. The report also highlights that women's involvement is strongest among early to mid-career professionals, particularly those with 5-8 years of experience (31%) and those with less than 2 years (30%). However, there is a noticeable decline in participation at senior levels, with only 4% of women in roles requiring over 14 years of experience, indicating challenges in retention and advancement. Careernet's Chief Business Officer, Neelabh Shukla, emphasized that women's participation is evolving, with a shift towards roles that are integral to business outcomes.