From Shop Floor to Leadership: Indian Women Are Rewriting Auto's Rules
For decades, women were largely absent from assembly lines, engineering teams and leadership roles. With the rise of electrification, automation and SDVs, the industry is beginning to open new doors.
In her 20s, Khushboo Patel is already doing something few women in India’s automotive sector have done before. Among the youngest deputy managers at the JSW MG Motor India’s Halol plant in Gujarat, Patel grew up in a village not far from the factory gates. Today, she oversees operations inside a plant that builds some of the company’s newest vehicles, including the Windsor EV and the Comet EV.
“It’s all about believing in yourself and I’m fortunate to have a leadership that believes in me. There is nothing that a woman can’t do at this factory,” she said. For ...
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By Prerna Lidhoo
13 Mar 2026
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Shahkar Abidi