These 11 automakers command more than 85% market share in the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle and two-wheeler segments, the analysis showed.
“While this (women participation) has increased by 140 bps in the last three years (it was 1% in 2020), the auto industry still has a long way to go to bridge the gender gap at leadership level,” said Neelesh Gupta, director, Deloitte India.
Executives at companies like Mercedes-Benz, Tata Motors, MG Motor India and Hero MotoCorp told ET they are stepping up focus on women participation in leadership positions.
At Tata Motors, the country’s third largest PV maker and largest CV manufacturer by sales volume, there were 4.9% women in top management positions as of December 31. Across all management levels, from junior to top management, only 7.43% were women.
“We are actively seeking to increase the representation of women in senior management positions,” said a spokesperson for Tata Motors. “Tata Motors is committed to enhancing these numbers and have set an internal goal to achieve a double-digit percentage of women in our workforce by 2030,” the spokesperson added.Mercedes-Benz India has over 1,200 employees, of which nearly 20% are women. India’s top luxury carmaker is now aiming to ensure that every second hire in the company is a woman, said Santosh Iyer, the company’s MD & CEO.“The entire leadership team has been driving diversity and inclusivity through hiring and mentorship and development programmes for women employees to take on leadership roles in the organisation,” said Iyer.
Women comprise three out of 10 directors on the board of Hero MotoCorp, the country’s top two-wheeler maker. Nearly 20% of the company’s leadership team is women, said a spokesperson.
Currently at 14%, Hero MotoCorp aims to have 30% women in its workforce by 2030.
In addition to various initiatives for women, Hero MotoCorp is empowering women employees and dealer ecosystems with leadership and mentoring programmes like ‘Women in Leadership’,’ Women in Successful Entrepreneurship’ and ‘HERoes Network’.
Passenger vehicle maker MG Motor India has a total of 3,001 employees, with women comprising 34% of the workforce. Currently, the company has about 20% women at senior levels.
“Women at MG Motor India hold key positions across various functions,” said Yeshwinder Patial, senior director, human resources, MG Motor India. These include communication, legal, HR, CRM, environmental health and safety, financial planning and analysis, taxation, and corporate sales.
The company’s Women Interactive Network for Development (WIND) initiative focuses on women employees’ development, including establishing leadership connections, sessions on personal branding, confidence-building sessions, and others. “This helped women nurture their skills, unlock their full potential, and propel their careers to new heights,” said Patial.