CII women's wing chief calls for more women in industry leadership roles

Amudhavalli Ranganathan, chairperson of the Confederation of Indian Industry-Indian Women Network (CII-IWN), emphasised the need to increase the number of women in leadership positions across various industries in India. She was speaking at the 'Women in Industry 4.0-Manufacturing & Textile' event organised by CII-IWN Tamil Nadu.

Ranganathan noted that Tamil Nadu leads the nation in employing women in the manufacturing sector, with 41% of all women employed in manufacturing in India working in the state. She highlighted that clusters in Tirupur (knitwear), Karur (textiles), and Coimbatore (engineering) employ a large number of women. However, she pointed out that the overall numbers do not tell the full story, as women remain underrepresented in research and development, digital strategy, and plant leadership roles.

Ranganathan, who is also Director of CavinKare Pvt Ltd, cited an upcoming battery-operated two-wheeler manufacturing unit in Krishnagiri that will be built entirely with a women workforce, calling it a genuine cause for optimism. She noted that the Central government has set an ambitious long-term goal of bringing more women into economic activities, and stressed the need for transformation focused on creating women entrepreneurs and leaders in the manufacturing industry.

Other speakers at the event included M. Perumal, chairman of CII Karur Zone, who called for stronger collaboration between industry and academia to offer courses that meet industry expectations. S. Anand, Vice Chairman of CII Tiruchi Zone, said women have great potential to take on leadership roles and urged them to utilise opportunities as the industry evolves to absorb talented women at top levels. The event saw participation from many women leaders, industrialists, and entrepreneurs from Tiruchi, Karur, and other parts of the state.