Women Parliamentarians and Freight Workers Meet to Discuss Gender Inclusion in India's EV Transition

Four women members of parliament, women truck drivers, and fleet operators gathered in New Delhi on March 30 to discuss strategies for gender-inclusive freight electrification. The event was organised by Swaniti Initiative and Purpose, two organisations working on climate and social impact. The dialogue brought together voices from across the freight value chain — from those shaping policy in parliament to those operating vehicles on the ground.

The meeting comes at a time when India's truck market is projected to grow alongside broader economic expansion. That growth, organisers argued, offers a window to simultaneously advance the transition to cleaner vehicles and reshape who participates in the sector. The dialogue centred on the lived experiences of women working in freight and the policy and infrastructure changes needed to ensure their inclusion in what could be a significant employment shift.

Estimates suggest the trucking sector will generate approximately 30 million jobs by 2050, with zero-emission trucks (ZETs) accounting for over 21 per cent of those roles. Participants discussed how this transition could help address longstanding gender imbalances across the sector's value chain — from manufacturing and maintenance to operations and fleet management. Saudamini Zutshi, Manager for Partnerships and Business Development at Purpose, noted that women currently make up 11 to 15 per cent of India's electric vehicle workforce, which stands at approximately 1.1 crore workers, describing it as an early signal that change has begun.

Uma Bhattacharya, Trustee of Swaniti Initiative, underscored the importance of policy design in shaping this transition, saying that deliberate policy choices, informed by the perspectives of those entering the green economy, are critical for a gender-balanced outcome. Her remarks set the tone for discussions that moved between broad economic arguments and the specific, on-the-ground realities that women in freight continue to navigate.

While participants acknowledged progress, structural barriers were a recurring theme. Reema Jogani, CEO and founder of Reema Logistics, spoke about her work with vehicle operators and pointed to the need for better infrastructure — including CCTV coverage and adequate parking facilities. She noted that women drivers often prefer local routes, which allow them to more effectively manage care responsibilities at home. Her comments reflected a wider pattern in which the design of transport infrastructure has not historically accounted for the needs or safety concerns of women workers.

Electric bus pilot Ummatunbibi Jahangir Shaikh offered a more personal account. She said that operating an electric vehicle had improved her earnings and, equally, her sense of respect in the workplace. She added that the majority of people she encounters respond to her positively, and that she uses her own experience to encourage other women who are considering roles in the sector. Her account illustrated both the tangible benefits the EV transition can offer women and the role that visible representation plays in drawing more women into the field.

Parliamentarians at the event called for a combination of policy reform and broader social change. MP Dr. Fauzia Khan said the EV transition presents a rare opportunity to redesign systems from the ground up, and that doing so with a gender lens requires deliberate collaboration across government, industry, and civil society. MP Dr. Sangeeta Balwant drew attention to the women present at the dialogue as evidence that the sector is already changing, and said that parliamentarians stand committed to translating that momentum into concrete impact.

MP Adv. Priya Saroj struck a more cautionary note, saying that while supportive policies exist on paper, challenges at the ground level persist. She argued that a successful transition requires a shift in social attitudes, support from families, and greater visibility of women in freight and transport roles — visibility she described as essential to building public trust and making these sectors genuinely accessible to women. MP Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar joined in felicitating the participants and assured those present that she and her colleagues would work within their official capacities to foster a safe and enabling environment for women in the emerging EV ecosystem.

The economic stakes of women's participation extend beyond the freight sector. Economists have estimated that bringing women's labour force participation in line with men's could raise India's GDP by 27 per cent — a figure cited during the event to underscore that gender inclusion in industries like freight is not only a social goal but an economic one.

The dialogue concluded with a shared recognition that India's path to clean freight does not follow a single route, but that every route passes through the same question: how to ensure the meaningful participation of women. Organisers framed the task ahead as building a freight future that is designed with women from the outset, rather than adapted for them after the fact.

Swaniti Initiative describes itself as an ecosystem builder focused on energy transition, providing knowledge support, on-ground implementation, and data tools across India, the United States, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia. Purpose is a global social impact organisation working on climate, health, and social justice through strategic communications, coalition building, and policy engagement. Both organisations said they intend to continue work in this space following the New Delhi dialogue.