New Delhi: Female workers are making deeper inroads on shopfloors and in functions traditionally dominated by men at automakers, amid adoption of advanced technologies in manufacturing processes which require precision handling.

Tata Motors has more than 6,500 female shopfloor technicians at its manufacturing facilities that roll out electric cars, SUVs and heavy commercial vehicles. At the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, Hero MotoCorp, 3,500 women work on the shopfloors and there are assembly lines led by women at its factories at Tirupati, Haridwar and Neemrana in Rajasthan, while at MG Motor India, women account for 34% of its 3,001 workers at the manufacturing unit in Halol, Gujarat.

Automobile companies are increasingly looking at hiring more female workers to enrich the talent pool and improve the gender balance in factories, which are getting automated and adopting new technologies in robotics, electric systems and electronics.

“Major automotive firms are actively seeking to augment their shopfloor workforce with a substantial influx of female employees, aiming for a representation between 30% and 50%”, Subburathinam P, chief strategy officer at staffing firm TeamLease Services, told ET. “Women bring distinct competencies to these roles, such as adeptness in part handling, meticulous attention to detail, integrity and a strong sense of accountability,” he added.

Tata Motors’ flagship Harrier and Safari SUVs are assembled by a 3,000-strong all-women team at the company’s plant in Pune. “In addition to this, we have more than 3,700 women shopfloor technicians actively involved in assembling commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses across our CV plants in Pune, Lucknow, Pantnagar and Jamshedpur,” a Tata Motors spokesperson said.

Tata Motors is targeting recruiting women as a quarter of all new hires.Hero MotoCorp is aiming to have women accounting for 30% of its workforce by 2030. “Currently at 14%, we aim to have 30% women in its workforce by 2030, by adopting an integrated approach that focuses on recruitment drives, learning programmes, mentoring and networking opportunities to attract, retain, and grow women workers in multiple roles within the organisation,” a spokesperson said.Yeshwinder Patial, senior director (human resources) at MG Motor India, said his company is working on “fostering a balanced approach, ensuring equal representation of women across all functions and will be increasing the number of women in its workforce to 50%.”

To attract female workers, companies are offering benefits ranging from safe company-sponsored transportation to medical costs to avail of IVF and gender- neutral parental leave. To support returning mothers, Hero MotoCorp, for instance, provides crèche facilities and a buddy system. It allows women to take children along with an attendant during business travel for up to six months after returning to work.

Mercedes-Benz India head Santosh Iyer said for female employees on the shopfloor, the company has designated personal spaces and a monthly catch-up named ‘Chai and Baatcheet’ to understand their concerns and challenges and take up any feedback for improvement. “Our efforts are not limited to Mercedes-Benz India alone. In 2024, 4,000-plus women will enjoy educational benefits through Green School Transformation and Bertha Benz Scholarships, to skill graduate trainees. With these initiatives, we will skill the future of India as well as keep a healthy pipeline for hiring within Mercedes-Benz,” he said.