Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest carmaker, is stepping up efforts to increase the number of women on its shopfloor, as it looks to gradually strengthen gender diversity in its manufacturing workforce.
The company currently employs just over 190 women across its shopfloor operations at its Gurgaon and Manesar facilities, a relatively small share considering its overall workforce of around 25,000 and its dominance in the domestic passenger vehicle market.
“Women’s participation in our workforce will continue to rise. We are actively collaborating with ITIs to tailor courses that align with industry requirements and encourage more women to take up technical roles,” said Salil Lal, Chief Human Resources Officer, Maruti Suzuki India.
Bridging the Talent Gap
Maruti Suzuki said it is working to improve this by building a stronger talent pipeline. It has partnered with 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and plans to expand this network to 100 institutes, encouraging more women to take up technical trades such as mechanical and electrical courses, areas where female participation has historically been low.
In addition, the company is leveraging the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM), a flagship vocational training initiative aimed at creating a steady pool of industry-ready candidates, including women.
The push comes as automakers in the country are increasingly focusing on gender diversity in manufacturing roles, an area traditionally dominated by men.
For instance, MG Motor India has set a high benchmark in the industry, with women making up more than 31% of its overall workforce. At its Halol plant, women account for around 40% of shopfloor employees, underscoring a much deeper level of integration compared to Maruti Suzuki’s current numbers.
Maruti Suzuki, however, maintains that its focus is not just on increasing headcount but on creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace. Women employees at its plants are deployed across functions such as production quality control, sub-assembly lines, transmission assembly, and engine assembly, and receive the same training and career progression opportunities as their male counterparts.
Infrastructure and Safety
Recognizing that shopfloors have historically been male-dominated, the company said it undertook a detailed internal study to understand the needs of women employees.
Based on this, it introduced infrastructure upgrades including dedicated restrooms, changing areas, and creche facilities, along with enhanced safety measures such as guards and patrolling during evening shifts.