Women on the shop floor: Auto majors are inducting more women in manufacturing units

Vijay C Roy

HER job profile is quite elaborate. It entails hydraulic pump fitment on the engine loop of the chassis line (of a tractor). The highly specialised job requires great precision and responsibility. In her 20s, Neha is quite a star on the shop floor of Swaraj Tractors, a part of the Mahindra group, at SAS Nagar. If she stands out, it’s because of her professional abilities, not because she’s a woman doing a job associated with men. There are, in fact, over 400 other women employed at the shop floor.

“Every day is a testament to the fact that gender doesn’t limit our capabilities here,” says Santosh, who works at the footboard sub-assembly at Swaraj Tractors. Echoing similar sentiments, Nisha, a technician on the shop floor, adds, “Being part of the tractor manufacturing team means more than just a job. It’s about feeling empowered and being confident of my abilities.”

Traditionally, the shop floor has remained a male bastion. Even as recently as a decade back, shop floors were out of bounds for women. Working on heavy duty machines on the factory shop floor was seen as the ultimate challenge for women as it is physically demanding. But with gender inclusivity being given due recognition, women joining manufacturing jobs has gained momentum.

Currently, an increasing number of women in India are challenging gender stereotypes — be it tractors, cars, SUVs or EVs, women can be seen in different roles on the shop floors. In sectors where manufacturing is more automated, like FMCG, textile, apparel, pharma, etc, the number of women on shop floors is even more.

Manufacturing majors are inducting more women on the shop floors to widen the talent pool. Swaraj Tractors, Tata Motors, MG Motor, JSW Group and Jindal Stainless are among the companies that have women working on shop floors and are looking to increase their strength in positions ranging from workers to managers.

Leading the change

Swaraj Tractors (originally Punjab Tractors Ltd or PTL, which was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra in 2007) was one of the first companies in the Indian tractor industry to recruit women on the shop floor in 2011. The company, a division of Mahindra’s farm equipment arm, decided to embark on this unique experiment to encourage greater inclusivity. The senior management, in a bid to promote a diverse culture, challenged the status quo and the general perception that the shop floor is no place for a woman.

The organisation recruited engineering diploma holders, who were outgoing and confident, to take on the challenges of the shop floor and had a mindset conducive to working in an all-male environment

There were some reservations initially, but these were overcome due to the girls’ abilities and potential. The men, most of whom were older than the girls, soon took on an almost fatherly role and mentored the new recruits. Fourteen women were recruited in the first batch and were deployed in the assembly and the machine shop, a core manufacturing function.

There were other practical considerations as well. Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits like safety helmets and gloves, usually designed in larger sizes for men, had to be customised to fit women.

Harish Chavan, CEO, Swaraj Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, says, “We were among the first few companies in the Indian tractor industry to recognise the untapped potential of women on the shop floor. Today, women have become an integral part of our workforce. Their contribution is well recognised across the organisation. Embracing diversity also showcases our commitment to breaking the social barriers that have restricted opportunities for women in this sector.”

In the automotive sector, MG Motor has been the pioneer. “We have been conscious about gender diversity at the workplace across all levels from the day we started hiring. When we welcomed more women on our shop floors, we realised it was more than just hiring women. It demanded a transformation in the mindset,” says Yeshwinder Patial, senior director (human resources), MG Motor India.

“Women form a significant part of our workforce across diverse portfolios and organisational hierarchies — from the shop floor to leadership roles,” Patial adds.

“From pioneering the entry of the first woman spray painter to fostering a presence of women in welding and their active participation in every operation, from press shop and body (welding) to assembly, testing and quality check, women consistently lead with distinction and determination,” he adds. Currently, women account for 34 per cent of MG Motor India’s overall workforce.

“Women bring unique skills and perspectives to the industry, including their proficiency in handling parts, attention to detail, honesty and the ability to take ownership of tasks. These qualities are particularly valuable in an industry that demands precision and quality,” says a Tata Motors spokesperson.

According to him, Tata Motors has been actively promoting gender diversity across all levels. This commitment is reflected in the fact that over 5,000 women are engaged in shop-floor roles across all plants, including commercial, passenger and electric vehicles. Out of this, more than 2,500 women are shop-floor technicians and are actively involved in assembling commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses, across their CV plants in Pune, Lucknow, Pantnagar and Jamshedpur.

“In fact, we have a dedicated assembly line in our Pune plant for passenger vehicles which employs 100 per cent women. Our Harrier and Safari SUVs are assembled by a 3,000-strong all-women team at Tata Motors’ Pune plant. This has set an industry benchmark, challenging gender norms in the automotive industry,” he adds.

Tata Motors’dexterous women-led team oversees and executes the building of these powerful vehicles, performing a combination of complex, vigorous tasks such as lifting windshields that weigh 15 kg, and manipulating robots for the fitment of heavier parts.

“At MG Motor, we are focusing on not just hiring more women but also grooming more women for leadership positions,” says Patial. Other players are not far behind in this endeavour.

The bottlenecks

Having women in factories is a little more difficult than having women in white-collared jobs, as a different ecosystem is needed. And the industry is witnessing this change happening both culturally and practically — where women are comfortable working in factory setups and managers are open to women working on their shop floors.

However, human resources experts highlight that the availability of women willing to work in factories is still a constraint. According to a Deloitte survey on blue-collar workforce trends covering over 100 companies and 300 plants across 15-plus industries, the male to female ratio in blue-collar jobs is still 12:1 — only one woman for every 12 men in India’s factories. Women are also paid less than men. The gender ratio, however, is better where the manufacturing processes are more automated.

Deloitte attributes this to the prevalence of social issues as well as lack of flexible work hours and a healthy climate. According to this survey, very few companies have facilities for female workers like separate changing rooms or even a woman nurse or doctor for them. What is encouraging, however, is that most companies now offer separate washrooms and feeding rooms, etc, available closer to the workstations of women workers.

However the glass ceiling still persists. At the global level, too, only one in three managers or supervisors is currently a woman. According to the UN, it will take another 140 years to reach gender parity and 286 years before discriminatory laws against women are done away with. One step at a time, but change is coming, and for the good.

India’s first woman manual spray painter

“I have an eight-year-old daughter. My husband lost his kidney and was grounded at home. Relatives and friends were supportive, but that was not enough for sustenance. I needed to be financially independent. My sister was already working in MG. When an opportunity came, I appeared for an interview and was selected for the Halol plant in Gujarat. The most important change in my life was to step outside my house and wear what I wanted to. Earlier, I had to wear a saree in the village all the time but after joining MG, I get to wear shirt-pant. I feel more girls and women are now coming out of their homes and becoming independent (financially and in society). Also, they will get an opportunity to showcase their skills, which is not possible sitting at home. Women at home do not get to know their worth. I lost my father at a very young age, but my mother ensured that there was no discrimination between brothers and sisters. I tell the same to my daughter. My dream for her is to see her as a police officer. But I will support whatever she wants to do.”

Why companies are hiring women

According to HR experts, the productivity and agility women bring to the work is much higher. “Their precision, dexterity, ability to stay focused for hours, work ethic, loyalty and lower attrition rates make them an attractive talent pool for companies making small parts or goods.”

Central government Initiatives

• The Central government has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force and the quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. These include enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.
• The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019, provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee.
• To enhance the employability of female workers, the government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training Institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.