Gender-Based Provisions Needed In State EV Policies, Says Report

Gender-Based Provisions Needed In State EV Policies, Says Report

A latest report from New Delhi-based energy think tank OMI Foundation advocated for the inclusion of gender-based provisions to make jobs in the Indian electric mobility sector more inclusive. The report analysed the state policies and also the response of the electric mobility companies and brought to focus the role of women workforce in the sector.

The report also cited several positive steps taken by states and companies in the Indian EV market. The report advocated for more incentives for women-led organisations who want to jump onto the bandwagon.

“Encourage states to emulate the initiatives of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand by providing additional capital subsidies specifically tailored to support women-owned MSMEs and startups in the EV sector,” the report said. 

The OMI Report said that states may adopt gender-sensitive employment generation subsidies in their EV policies, following Punjab’s example, to create job opportunities for women across skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled categories. 

“Additionally, offering incentives like employee provident fund (EPF) refunds for companies that employ over 40% women in their workforce could be highly beneficial. This approach is based on a similar recommendation in the Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2017, which proposed reimbursing 50% of the employer’s EPF contribution for the direct employment of 100 or more unskilled workers, along with an additional 10% reimbursement for employers generating a minimum of 200 direct jobs, including both skilled and unskilled workers,” the report said.

It also said that such financial incentives can significantly boost women’s participation by encouraging employers to hire more women in their EV workforce (Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2017.

“States may include women-specific training subsidy provisions for skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling initiatives in EV policies, similar to the initiatives in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, that can include earmarking funds for training programmes and a clear roadmap to make sure that allocated funds are completely utilised,” the report advocated. 

The report also talked about their overall participation in the industry and the main barriers in front of this. The report said that in the last two years (FY 2022 – FY 2024), as sales of EVs surged by over 250% (EV-Ready India, n.d.) in India, more jobs have started pouring in for women in design, manufacturing, and leadership roles, as well as in manufacturing through shop floor functions.

“Both from a job and an entrepreneurial perspective, we increasingly see women occupy positions across the hierarchy – from shop floors to middle management to C-suite jobs. Currently, women already account for 11-15% of the overall EV workforce of 1.1 crore in India (Sahu, 2024). This is expected to reach 50% by the years 2030-33 (Sarkar, 2023),” the report said.