REA Cyber City, one of REA Group’s innovation hubs, located in Gurugram, has partnered with global technology consultancy, Thoughtworks, to support the upcoming cohort of the ‘Vapasi Program’. Thoughtworks’ flagship return-to-work initiative is designed to help women technologists successfully re-enter the workforce following a career break.
Research shows that 38% of women in India take a career pause for parenting or caregiving, compared to just 9% of men (LinkedIn Workforce Report). These breaks often make re-entry challenging in the fast-changing world of technology. Vapasi addresses this gap through a five-week program that provides participants with structured training, hands-on experience working on real projects, mentoring, and a paid internship that often leads to full-time opportunities.
Since the start of the program in 2014, Vapasi has enabled more than 250 women to restart their careers in technology, with 90% continuing in long-term roles. Through this new partnership, REA Cyber City and Thoughtworks aim to give women both the opportunity to return to work and the confidence, skills, and industry-readiness to thrive in any technology environment.
This collaboration also aligns with REA Group’s global commitment to diversity and inclusion. REA Group’s Australia business runs Springboard to Tech, a career transition program for women and gender-diverse professionals, with a 90% retention rate since 2018.
Mr. Vikas Wadhawan, COO, REA Cyber City said: “At REA, diversity is not just a metric—it’s a mindset. Partnering with Thoughtworks on Vapasi allows us to support women technologists in regaining their professional momentum.
“This initiative goes beyond recruitment for REA Cyber City. It’s about equipping women with the tools and confidence to return to the wider tech industry and succeed. By building these pathways, we’re investing not just in our own teams, but in the strength of the overall technology ecosystem,” Mr Wadhawan added.
Sameer Soman, Regional Head of Digital Engineering Center and MD for Thoughtworks in India added: “A career break should not be a career endpoint for the incredible talent in our industry. Vapasi was born from this conviction and has since enabled over 250 women to successfully reboot their technology careers. We are delighted to partner with REA CyberCity, an organization that shares our belief in creating tangible pathways for inclusion. This collaboration creates a stronger, more resilient tech ecosystem enriched by diverse experiences and perspectives and we’re excited about the extraordinary impact this will have on the careers of talented individuals and the industry as a whole.”
In its first year at REA Cyber City, the partnership aims to enable 15–20 women to rejoin tech roles, with a long-term goal of helping 100+ women restart their careers over the coming years.
