Several manufacturing companies in India are inducting women for roles on the shop floor that challenge gender stereotypes. According to experts, the impetus for the same came from the pandemic which led to several strenuous roles in factory floors getting automated. As a result, the shop floor which was previously a male-dominated space is now witnessing the induction of women. Companies like TVS Motors, Tata Steel, MG Motors India and several others are increasing the representation of women on their factory floors to bridge the gender gap and widen the talent pool.
The last few years have witnessed the gravitation of women from stereotypical roles to corporate jobs and roles in the manufacturing industries. As a part of the diversity and inclusion policies, several companies have been actively recruiting women for roles that were previously performed by men. Mechanisation is the primary reason for these organisations to consider and plan for a diverse workforce. In 2021, Ola Electric announced the hiring of 10,000 women for its two-wheeler factory near Chennai.
Titan Company which has been running an all-women company in Hosur for the last 35 years believes that the precision, work ethics and loyalty that women bring make them an attractive talent pool. Tata Steel, an organization that is targeting to achieve a 25 per cent diverse workforce by 2025 is employing women in an ecosystem that ranges from mines to manufacturing for roles like officers, supervisors, heavy earth moving machinery operators and pilots.
MG Motor India has increased its female representation in the workforce from 18 per cent before the pandemic to 37 per cent in 2022 and is aiming to reach 50 per cent in the next year. “ Research shows that diverse companies are the most profitable, “ said Rajeev Chaba, MD – MG Motor India in an interview with ET. “ Several operations which previously required manual interventions like pushing a car on the trolley have now been automated and can be carried out in just a push of a button,” he added.
In 2020, Schaeffler India hired 200 women in its manufacturing plants to increase its women strength by 200 per cent. In a media interview, the executive vice president of Teamlease Services, Rituparna Chakraborty revealed that the primary objective of several companies hiring women workforce is to create harmony and make the workplace more harmonious.