Women Make Up 64.4% Of India's Agri Workforce, But Only 10% In Top Firms

By: WE staff | Saturday, 22 March 2025

• 64.4 percent of India's agricultural labour force is female
• 6-10 percent of women work in leading agri and agri-related firms
• The product was launched during the second Women in Agriculture Summit

A recent report reveals that while women make up 64.4 percent of India's agricultural workforce, only 6-10 percent is employed in leading agri and agri-related companies. Titled "Women in Agribusiness — Opportunities and Challenges," the report was launched on Friday by Godrej Agrovet Ltd in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Godrej DEI Lab during the second Women in Agriculture Summit.

"At Godrej Agrovet, we believe in building the future of agribusiness by empowering women through education, workplace inclusion, and leadership development," said Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet, in a statement. "We had committed last year to empowering 100,000 women in the agri value chain, and I am happy to share that we have impacted 20,000 women positively in just one year," he further added.

The report finds that although women constitute 30-40 percent of overall enrollments in agricultural courses, hardly any move into formal employment. Vidya Vemireddy, IIMA Faculty Member, said, "India's agriculture face a remarkable paradox: women make up a large share of both agricultural labor and educational groups, yet a majority of graduates never join formal employment."

The report maps a path to reconcile gender imbalances, advocating for equal resource access, gender-sensitive training, and workplace inclusiveness reforms. On the summit, Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, and Balram Singh Yadav declared that the company will be introducing the Godrej Agrovet Women in Agriculture Scholarship, which will benefit five students of agriculture.

Mallika Mutreja, Head of Human Resources, Godrej Agrovet, informed that the company has managed to elevate female representation from 8 percent to 12 percent in FY25 and is aiming for 32 percent by FY28. The conference also included panel sessions on subjects like "Breaking Barriers for Women in Agriculture" and "Boardroom to Breakthroughs: Women in Leadership", with the attendance of industry players.