As India accelerates its ambitions to become a global electronics manufacturing hub, building an inclusive and future-ready workforce is emerging as a critical priority. Increasing women’s participation in shopfloor roles, traditionally dominated by men, is not only a social imperative but also a strategic lever for improving productivity, resilience, and long-term industry growth. In this context, Lava International Limited’s initiative to onboard over 150 women from underserved communities into manufacturing roles at its Noida facility marks a significant step toward bridging gender gaps in industrial employment.
In this conversation, Sanjeev Agarwal, Executive Director and Chief Manufacturing Officer, Lava International Limited, shares insights into the intent, implementation, and impact of this initiative. He discusses how structured skilling pathways, workplace support systems, and dedicated production lines are enabling first-generation women workers to transition into formal manufacturing roles, while also highlighting the broader implications for India’s manufacturing ecosystem and inclusive economic growth.
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Q. What was the core intent behind onboarding over 150 women from underserved communities into manufacturing roles, and how does this align with Lava’s broader vision for inclusive growth?
A. The initiative is to expand access to economic opportunities for women from underserved communities by integrating them into formal manufacturing roles. It focuses on fostering financial independence, enabling skill development, and creating pathways for long-term employability, areas where systemic gaps have historically persisted.
This effort aligns with the company’s broader vision of inclusive growth, where manufacturing is not just about scale, but about equitable participation. As India continues to strengthen its Make in India ambitions, building a diverse and future-ready workforce remains critical. By integrating women into core shopfloor operations, Lava is strengthening workforce capability while driving meaningful social impact at the grassroots level.
Q. Many of these women are first-generation industrial workers. What challenges did you observe during onboarding, and how were they addressed through training and workplace support?
A. The challenges extended beyond technical readiness to deeper social and behavioural shifts. As first-generation industrial workers, many women entered the workforce with limited awareness of formal work environments, alongside concerns around safety, confidence, and adapting to structured, shift-based roles.
To address this, we adopted a holistic onboarding approach. A structured two-day induction program is designed to build familiarity with workplace processes, roles, and expectations, helping ease the initial transition. This is complemented by focused safety training and detailed awareness sessions on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, ensuring women are well-informed about safety protocols, their rights, and available redressal mechanisms.
Additionally, initiatives such as encouraging family visits to the workplace play a critical role in building trust and reassurance, addressing external social barriers that often influence women’s participation.
Overall, the approach goes beyond skill-building to create a supportive ecosystem that enables confidence, safety, and long-term retention.
Q. The initiative combines skill development with structured employment. How is the skilling component designed to ensure long-term career progression rather than short-term job placement?
A. The skilling component is designed as a continuous, structured pathway rather than a one-time training intervention, ensuring that women can build long-term careers within manufacturing.
At the entry level, programs such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) provide a strong foundation by combining classroom learning with hands-on industry exposure. This is complemented by on-the-job training (OJT) on the production line, where women gain proficiency across multiple operations, building both technical depth and functional versatility.
Through on-the-job training (OJT) on the production line, they become proficient in multiple operations. Post-training, they can enroll in B.Voc programs, with fees covered by the organization, enabling them to earn a degree. Starting as trainees, they are given continuous opportunities to upskill and grow within the company
This creates a clear pathway from trainee roles to more skilled, technical, and supervisory positions over time.
Q. Could you elaborate on the dedicated women assembly line at the Noida plant and how it has helped improve participation in core manufacturing roles?
A. The dedicated women assembly line at the Noida plant was introduced as a focused and scalable entry point to integrate women into core manufacturing roles—particularly in high-volume, precision-driven environments.
Compared to their male counterparts, women employees on these lines have demonstrated significantly lower attrition and absenteeism, which has directly translated into improved production efficiency and higher quality output. This reinforces the case for women not just as participants, but as high-performing contributors in core shopfloor operations.
We are now working towards establishing a fully women-led assembly line, where roles across the value chain, from line leaders to the quality team, will be managed entirely by women. This initiative aims to address existing manpower and skilling challenges while ensuring sustainable growth and operational excellence.
At an industry level, such interventions come at a pivotal time. As electronics manufacturing scales rapidly in India, women have the potential to play a transformative role in accelerating growth. Enabling greater participation of “half the population” is not just a diversity agenda; it is central to strengthening India’s manufacturing capabilities.
Q. Women are engaged across functions like assembly, quality control, and production planning. How important is this multi-functional exposure in building a sustainable and inclusive manufacturing workforce?
A. Multi-functional exposure is critical as it moves women beyond narrowly defined roles and helps break traditional constraints within manufacturing. It builds versatility, enhances problem-solving abilities, and supports long-term career progression, making the workforce more resilient and inclusive.
By engaging across assembly, quality control, and production planning, our workforce builds a more holistic understanding of the production ecosystem. This not only strengthens adaptability and problem-solving ability but also unlocks long-term career mobility, enabling progression from execution-led roles to more skilled and decision-oriented functions over time.
From an organisational lens, this integrated approach helps build a more agile and resilient workforce that can respond to production variability and evolving business needs. At the same time, it fosters a culture of continuous learning and inclusion, where growth is not limited by background but enabled through structured exposure and adequate support systems.
Q. What specific workplace policies, such as pay parity, safety measures, and flexible schedules, have been implemented to create an enabling environment for women employees?
A. A strong focus has been placed on creating a safe and equitable workplace for women employees, anchored in full compliance with all statutory and internal policies. This includes ensuring pay parity, POSH-compliant internal committees, and robust safety protocols across the facility. Employees are also supported through benefits such as ₹1 lakh medical insurance, access to meals, and secure working conditions.
Dedicated female HR leaders ensure better communication and approachability, while managers are trained to actively foster a respectful and inclusive environment. Regular awareness sessions on the POSH Act further strengthen confidence by ensuring women are informed about their rights and support systems.
Additionally, facilities such as female medical staff support safety, well-being, and motivation, while fostering a culture of trust where women can participate and grow.
Q. From a business perspective, how has increasing women’s participation impacted operational efficiency, productivity, or workplace culture at the manufacturing facility?
A. Increasing women’s participation can enhance production continuity by reducing dependence on limited talent pools. A more stable and trained workforce has strengthened process adherence, improved output quality, and enhanced overall operational efficiency in high-volume manufacturing environments.
It can also contribute to lower attrition and higher workforce reliability, which are critical for maintaining production timelines. Diverse teams bring greater attention to detail and discipline on the shop floor, positively impacting quality outcomes. Additionally, a more inclusive workplace culture has improved employee morale and collaboration, further strengthening overall productivity.
Q. How do you measure the social impact of this initiative in terms of financial independence, skill enhancement, and long-term employability for these women?
A. Social impact is measured through a combination of skill acquisition, financial independence, and long-term employability outcomes.
At the individual level, women from modest backgrounds are transitioning into skilled shopfloor roles, gaining hands-on technical capabilities in areas such as soldering and assembly. This not only enhances their confidence and technical proficiency but also enables them to earn a stable income and contribute meaningfully to their households.
Over time, the focus is on building sustained employability, where these women are not just employed but are equipped with transferable skills that allow them to grow within the electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
The intent is not just to provide jobs, but to enable long-term financial independence and sustained employability within the electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
Q. Do you see this model being scalable across other manufacturing units or locations, and what would be required to replicate it at a larger industry level?
A. The model is inherently scalable across manufacturing units and geographies, supported by a growing pipeline of women trained through ITI and diploma programs, who are increasingly taking up production and support roles across diverse sectors such as electronics, automotive, FMCG, and textiles.
To replicate this at a larger industry level, the first requirement is organisational alignment, ensuring that leadership and frontline managers adopt a progressive, inclusive mindset. This must be supported by strict adherence to policies, unbiased processes, and a strong focus on building a safe, respectful, and enabling workplace for women.
Equally important is fostering employee involvement and creating a supportive ecosystem that enables women to integrate confidently into shopfloor environments.
When these elements are institutionalised, it leads to higher engagement, stronger retention, and high performance, making the model both sustainable and scalable across the manufacturing ecosystem.
Q. As India positions itself as a global electronics manufacturing hub, what role can industry-led initiatives like this play in bridging gender gaps in industrial employment?
A. Industry-led initiatives play a pivotal role in translating India’s manufacturing ambitions into inclusive growth. Women currently constitute roughly 34% of the overall manufacturing workforce, about 23 million out of 68 million workers, but their representation in formal roles is lower, at around 19–20% in organized factories.
In electronics and mobile manufacturing, women’s participation is significantly higher. Reports indicate that 60–78% of workers in assembly, testing, and quality assurance roles are women, particularly in smartphone and consumer electronics facilities. Yet, leadership and technical roles still see lower female representation, highlighting the need for structured career progression.
Lava International addresses this gap through women-focused production lines, skill development programs, and pathways from assembly to operational and managerial roles. This empowers women, increases workforce diversity, and enhances productivity.
For instance, in a household of four, if only two earn, economic growth is limited; if all four contribute, the household prospers. Similarly, women’s full participation in industrial employment drives sustainable economic growth, making initiatives like Lava’s crucial for India’s manufacturing future.
Without the contribution of half the nation’s population, imagining a “Viksit Bharat” is impossible.
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