‘Automation to spell flexible options for women’

However, women are also likely to be impacted by the automation of routine tasks, particularly in the IT sector, according to a white paper on the future of jobs and skilling in India by Quest Alliance, in partnership with Tandem Research and supported by Microsoft Philanthropies.

The white paper has been generated by ‘patching-up’ insights from the limited data and research available on the subject and in consultation with key informants within industry, policy making and education. 

In India, 59 per cent of the labour force comprised women having low-skill back office processing jobs delivering back office support, call centre work and data transcription services, among others, it added.

It revealed that women also face cultural barriers to using and acquiring new technological and learning tools, and are thus often assigned to tasks involving unskilled labour, many of which have high automation potential. It further said within services, sub-sectors like hospitality and retail are likely to experience 

dramatic transformations as a result of automation, digitalisation and the growing use of data analytics.

Education, healthcare, tourism, transport and storage enterprises have significant growth potential, creating 3-3.5 million jobs a year, compared to the 0.5-1 million jobs they currently create, it added. 

Construction will remain a significant job creator as the government continues to develop national infrastructure. Travel and tourism is also expected to become a high-growth industry by 2025, it added.