women in automotive
The first-of-its-kind sector-wide study in India to examine what enables women to enter, stay, and grow in automotive manufacturing and what this means for firms as the sector grows.
Women in Automotive is a cross-sector research programme led by Good Business Lab that explored how to harness the untapped potential of women on automotive shopfloors. Over three years, we identified the barriers women and firms faced and tested real-world solutions on shopfloors. This program was developed in close collaboration with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and the Gates Foundation.
the barriers
GBL’s research across the automotive sector found barriers at four different stages of women’s employment journey, many of which can be addressed through practical solutions. Overcoming these barriers can help firms expand their talent pool and build a more productive, reliable and resilient workforce.
Many women are willing to work, but they may never hear about auto jobs. Hiring runs almost entirely through informal, word-of-mouth networks that rarely reach women in the first place. GBL's fieldwork suggests that women's awareness of automotive jobs remains low—only 22-40% of women surveyed across industrial areas in NCR and Bengaluru were aware that automotive firms hire women.
India’s automotive sector contributes ~7% of GDP and is poised to grow under the Viksit Bharat ambition, requiring a larger, stronger workforce. Yet women’s participation was just 8.7% in 2025. Here’s why firms should change that:
broaden access to talent
91% of automotive shopfloor roles are still held by men. As firms compete for talent, women offer a significant, underused pool to draw from as the sector grows.
build a more productive, reliable workforce
Research in adjacent blue-collar sectors links higher women’s participation with 8% higher attendance and 26% lower unplanned absenteeism, alongside stronger retention. GBL’s fieldwork points to similar patterns in automotive.
create a more resilient workforce
A more diverse workforce can reduce firms’ reliance on a single, increasingly competitive talent pool and help them adapt as the sector evolves.
curious what three years taught us?
Join the waitlist to get hands on our report.
