The biggest barriers to women in manufacturing begin long before recruitment: BirlaNu CHRO

"The absence of visible role models reinforces this. When women cannot see others like them in technical or senior manufacturing roles, the signal about what is possible is discouraging well before any formal barrier is encountered."

At BirlaNu, he says, leadership teams at both plant and corporate levels work together "to ensure barriers are anticipated and addressed proactively."

Hiring is measurable. Retention is systemic.

Srinivas makes a clear distinction between attracting women and ensuring they remain and grow within organisations.

"Hiring and retention are different problems, and most organisations have invested more seriously in one than the other."

He explains recruitment can be driven through focused targets. Retention, however, depends on everything employees experience after joining.

"The first few months after joining are where the trajectory is typically set." He believes many manufacturing organisations underestimate the influence of direct managers.

"A manager who lacks the awareness to create an inclusive environment, without any deliberate intent, can produce an experience where the person feels disrespected, stuck, or out of place." For sustained participation, he advocates moving beyond recruitment targets.

"Sustainable participation requires moving from a recruitment orientation to an ecosystem approach that combines inclusive culture, equitable opportunity, and supportive leadership."

At BirlaNu, he says candidates are largely hired from areas surrounding plant locations to encourage long-term employment, while team leaders regularly participate in structured diversity and inclusion programmes.

Infrastructure matters because everyday experiences matter

While workplace policies receive significant attention, Srinivas believes practical working conditions influence inclusion far more.

"The changes that make the most practical difference are those that address the daily working experience rather than those that are most visible in policy documents."

He highlights three foundational requirements:

• Adequate sanitation facilities
• Safe commuting arrangements
• Shift structures that reflect practical realities outside work

Without these, he says, efforts to attract and retain women have limited impact. He identifies shift flexibility as particularly important.

"Rigid structures that do not account for responsibilities outside of work create friction that accumulates over time."

Where organisations have introduced greater flexibility while maintaining production continuity, he says retention outcomes have improved.

"The constraint in most cases is not the nature of the work. It is whether the environment has been designed with the workforce in mind rather than retrofitted as an afterthought." BirlaNu, he adds, designs its plants and offices with these considerations in mind.

Culture is harder to change than infrastructure

Physical facilities can be upgraded. Leadership behaviour is considerably more complex.

For Srinivas, organisational culture ultimately determines whether structural interventions succeed.

"Culture and mindset are where the most consequential enabling or restricting happens, and where change is also slowest because it is harder to measure and mandate."

He believes inclusion should be treated as a business priority rather than simply a values statement.

"Leadership commitment to inclusion must be framed as a business priority." He also places significant emphasis on psychological safety.

"Women who do not feel safe raising concerns or asking for what they need will not stay regardless of what policy documents say."

Creating such an environment, he says, is a managerial responsibility requiring deliberate capability building.

He also differentiates sponsorship from mentorship.

"Managers who advocate for their people, put them forward for opportunities and use their own positioning to advance others create a measurably different experience from those who provide guidance without advocacy."

Within BirlaNu, Srinivas says the company's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion framework focuses on four pillars:

• Attracting women talent
• Creating exemplars
• Communicating and celebrating progress
• Fostering a culture of inclusion and equity

Each pillar is led by a designated leader across the organisation.

He also points to internal examples including an entire production line operated by women and departments such as Quality and Secretarial comprising all-women teams.

Women's expectations have changed

Srinivas believes today's workforce is more intentional about career choices than previous generations.

"Women entering manufacturing today are more deliberate about what they are looking for and more willing to leave environments that do not deliver it."

Career growth has become a central expectation.

"There is a clear demand for transparency about development pathways and evidence that advancement decisions are made equitably."

Safety expectations have also expanded.

"Safety expectations have expanded beyond physical safety to include psychological safety."

Flexibility, meanwhile, has become increasingly important.

"The expectation is less about working fewer hours and more about having some agency over how work fits alongside the rest of life."

According to Srinivas, manufacturing has responded more slowly than several other sectors, affecting its ability to attract qualified talent. He notes that pharmaceuticals and light engineering have generally been more successful than other manufacturing segments in increasing women's participation on shop floors.

Remote plants require broader solutions

Operating in remote manufacturing locations presents challenges extending beyond organisational policy.

"Remote plant locations present challenges that cannot be addressed through policy alone."

Mobility remains one of the biggest constraints.

"Where public transport is inadequate and where safety concerns make independent commuting difficult, the organisation has to take direct responsibility for travel arrangements rather than leaving individuals to manage."

Community attitudes also influence workforce participation.

"In many areas where manufacturing plants operate, there are social norms around women working in industrial roles, particularly on shifts, that shape family and community attitudes."

Srinivas says organisations making progress have engaged communities over extended periods instead of expecting immediate acceptance.

At BirlaNu, he says safety is non-negotiable, while work allocation is scheduled between sunrise and sunset to support safe working conditions.

Manufacturing jobs are changing

Automation has altered the nature of many shop-floor roles, prompting organisations to reconsider long-held assumptions.

"Role definitions in manufacturing have historically been built around assumptions about who is doing the job."

He believes automation has significantly reduced many physical demands traditionally associated with manufacturing.

"The traditional profile of who can perform them is less relevant than it once was." Srinivas cites BirlaNu's Golan plant model as an example.

"By designing a production line with the infrastructure, shift structure, and managerial support required for women to manage it end to end, we found that the constraint was never capability. It was design intent."

He says broader industry changes now include more deliberate role design, greater shift flexibility and separating physical requirements from actual role requirements.

Inclusion requires coordinated interventions

Asked about programmes improving hiring and retention, Srinivas avoids pointing to a single initiative. "No single intervention moves the needle."

Instead, he describes a connected system covering recruitment, onboarding, development and culture.

Among BirlaNu's initiatives are:

• Gender-intentional role definitions for specific positions.
• Return-to-work programmes for women re-entering after career breaks.
• Flexibility provisions during different life stages.
• Managerial capability programmes focused on inclusive leadership.