DIVERSITY AS A BUSINESS IMPERATIVE

Manufacturing is changing not just in technology and scale, but also in who leads it and how it is led.

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Across shop floors, boardrooms, design labs, and supply chains, women are moving from participation to influence, from authority to credibility, from expertise to trust. They are not waiting for inclusion; they are building impact. And in doing so, they are quietly redefining what leadership in manufacturing looks like.

OEM Update, in collaboration with WIMA - Women in Manufacturing & Allied Industries, brings this transformation to the forefront.

Together, we spotlight the women who are strengthening the industry not only with technical acumen, but with resilience, strategic clarity, and people-first leadership.

In this edition, we feature nine women leaders in a virtual series titled Women in Manufacturing — Driving Innovation, Leadership, and the Future Workforce. Their insights go beyond personal journeys. They speak about credibility in engineering, the challenge of attracting young talent, the responsibility of building inclusive workplaces, and the urgency of making manufacturing aspirational again.

A silent transformation is unfolding within India's manufacturing landscape, not just on the production lines but in the lives and journeys of the women stepping onto them. Across factories, testing plants, logistics hubs, and engineering offices, more women are entering spaces that were once considered off-limits. The question is no longer whether women belong in manufacturing. The more pressing question is whether manufacturing is ready to evolve with them.

Women make up nearly 43 per cent of informal manufacturing, but only around 19 per cent of formal employment roles. That gap says everything. It is not about talent or capability. Women are already doing the work. The real issue is structure — access to secure roles, growth paths, and long-term opportunities. The potential is there. The system needs to catch up.