“There are very few things that women cannot do here,” says Naseema Fathima, an employee at First Solar’s manufacturing plant at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. The assembly lines are automated and women use hoists for heavy lifting. Automation has helped women take up the roles traditionally dominated by men.
Fathima has spent a decade working in several factories in Tamil Nadu. “This factory has higher automation and so women can perform most tasks,” she says.
Tamil Nadu leads the country in employing women in factories, but challenges remain. Most shop floors are designed for men. For instance, conveyor belts are designed for men’s average height, making it difficult for women to work throughout a shift. Even the shelves to store tools are often too high to reach for women. Also, in semi-automated factories, parts have to be lifted up on to the production line.
However, the manufacturing process at First Solar requires very few such interventions. Women operate advanced machinery, oversee automated systems, and use data-driven tools. Women form more than 40% of the company’s 1,000-odd workforce.
Employing women in large numbers is an established practice in the region, says Sujoy Ghosh, country managing director of First Solar. “There’s no role that is exclusively for men or for women. But there was definitely a bit of subconscious bias (in hiring). We consciously corrected it. We explained to the managers and the supervisors, who eventually would be the leaders of the workforce, why we are doing this and what the goal is. We addressed the gaps in hiring women, even those with career breaks,” he says.
The company set up two creches on the plant premises — for children aged six months to two years and for children aged two to five. “Initially, we debated whether to build a creche, but in hindsight, it was the right decision,” says Ghosh. Employees can either bring their children to the workplace or choose a facility near their homes, with the company reimbursing the costs.
The company’s gender and regional inclusivity (most come from non-metros) stems from pragmatism. As the country’s population ages, experts stress the need to bring more women into the labour force. This US-based largest solar module manufacturer went on recruitment drives to tier-2, tier-3 cities in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
“We compete with the IT sector and startups, which offer more flexible working conditions. Manufacturing is still not the first choice for many graduates,” says Ghosh. When hiring for mechatronics and multidisciplinary roles, the company noticed a stark disparity in education trends. “One college we visited had 3,600 computer science seats but only 60 for mechanical engineering. The talent pipeline is extremely skewed,” he says.
The company also provided extensive training for recruits, sending talent to its manufacturing facilities abroad. To support fresh graduates, especially women, First Solar partnered with an agency to provide subsidised shared apartments for the first 18 months. “Most fresh graduates had no financial cushion, so we offered this temporary housing to help them settle in and build a support network. Most have moved out and found their own accommodation,” says Ghosh, adding, “We wanted to provide them with a home, not just a dormitory.”
Instead of only taking away jobs, machines can also open new doors — especially for women. Men and corporations need to be more accommodative though.