BENGALURU: Construction equipment manufacturer JCB India will have women comprising 50 per cent of its shopfloor workforce at Vadodara facility, which would start operations next year. Shop floor workforce is directly engaged with the assembly and production of equipment in the manufacturing area.
The move is aimed at JCB’s commitment to increase the number of women employees in the infrastructure sector, Subir Kumar Chowdhury, MD and CEO of JCB India, told this publication.
On the sidelines of the ongoing CII EXCON-2019, Chowdhury explained that JCB currently has over 34 women employees at its Jaipur plant, which has nearly 30 per cent women working on the shop floor.
“Our shop floor women wear multiple hats with diverse roles and responsibilities. In the Jaipur plant, the mini-excavators’ assembling and testing are done by a batch of women. It has women performing fabrication and welding works. From operating these heavy vehicles to testing and certifying engines, they are storming the traditionally male bastions. It is heartening to see the transformation that is being experienced back in their homes and villages. Families that were once apprehensive about sending their daughters to study and work are now champions of change in their communities,” Chowdhury added.
He said the Vadodara factory, which has been set up with an investment of Rs 650 crore, will be 100 per cent exports-oriented, especially since the company has scaled its overseas operations.
“Over the last seven years, we have seen our exports grow from 11 to 110 countries including Western Europe, Russia, Australia. We will enter North America soon. And interestingly, we are seeing a spike in the demand for India made products in the overseas markets. Our exports currently contribute to 20 per cent of our total revenues,” he added.
JCB said that the integration of advanced technology like Big Data and Internet of Things in its machines has enabled its customers in recovering their machines if they are lost.