Over the past few years, India’s manufacturing sector has become a central pillar of national growth, powering industrial expansion, generating employment, and integrating the country into global value chains. Today, the sector contributes nearly 17% to India’s GDP and employs over 27 million people in the formal economy, underscoring its scale, economic significance, and transformative potential. Yet the workforce does not reflect India’s diversity. Manufacturing has long been perceived as a male-dominated, physically demanding domain, a perception that restricts opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups and limits the sector’s ability to innovate and compete globally.