The latest edition observes that while the industry was historically shaped by male-dominated leadership and physically demanding shop floors, the landscape is gradually shifting. A central argument of this issue is that the ongoing technological transformation in mobility — encompassing electrification, automation, and software-defined vehicles — is fundamentally altering the nature of work in automotive manufacturing and engineering, creating new entry points for women professionals.

This edition of Autocar Professional highlights concrete examples of this change. At JSW MG Motor India's battery assembly units, women now constitute a significant share of the workforce. At Tata Motors' Pune facility, an all-women team manages the Harrier and Safari assembly lines. Organisations such as Texas Instruments and PVNA Group are also seeing growing female participation in electronics, software, and advanced manufacturing.

However, the latest edition is candid about the challenges that persist. Industry leaders including Suman Mishra and Reeti Nageshri draw attention to a pronounced mid-career gap, noting that retaining women through pivotal life stages remains an unresolved challenge for the sector.

The issue points to visible progress on the ground. Women are taking on larger roles in manufacturing environments such as battery assembly units and even leading all-women production lines. Their presence is also expanding across engineering, electronics and advanced manufacturing functions, signalling a more diverse talent pool contributing to next-generation mobility solutions.

Encouragingly, this edition also documents a growing corporate response — returnship programmes, flexible work arrangements, automation investments, and improved workplace infrastructure are increasingly being woven into talent strategies across the industry.

Autocar Professional magazine is available through all good newsagents and for download from Magzster.

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