The Missing Female Workforce: India's Auto Sector Flourishes, yet

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Wednesday, 29 October 2025

The automotive sector is a major pillar of the Indian economy. It contributes nearly 13 percent of India’s GDP and is a key contributor to the country’s today manufacturing GDP. The automotive workforce is also a key chunk of India’s employed population and has increase almost 22 percent between 2023 and 2024.

However, the sector is known to be a male dominated sector. The common perception is that harsh working conditions, unusual work hours etc make it a sector less conducive for women to work in. The perception translates into reality which is reflected in the number of women in the Indian automotive industry.

According to a recent survey, women constituted only 16 percent of the workforce across all NSE-listed automotive companies. Women’s representation increased only three percent between 2023 and 2024. The statistics are even more disappointing when it comes to leadership roles.

There is a dearth of strong women role models who can inspire young girls to aspire for careers in the Indian automotive sector. The current edition of Women Entrepreneurs Review magazine, makes a small effort to shine the spotlight of women leaders from the Indian automotive sector.

These young women have risen to top positions and have become inspiring leaders; their stories will be a true motivation to women all over the country, who want to chase their dreams.

One such name is Priyal Aggarwal, Executive Director, Ideal Components. As a seasoned professional, she commits to elevating industrial practices through the lens of equality, ethics, and long-term impact. As the Executive Director at Ideal Components, her leadership approach is rooted in understanding customer needs and delivering value-driven, intelligent engineering solutions through collaborating like-minded professionals.

To know more about Priyal’s journey in the male-dominated automotive sector, read the current edition of WER magazine.

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