Empowerment starts with infrastructure, but it flourishes with culture

By Staff Report July 7, 2025 1:56 pm IST

Regarding women’s empowerment in the manufacturing industry, Amit Kapur, Chairman and Managing Director of IOTA Group Co., NICO Nanobubble India Co., and IOTA Water, believes in ‘Walking the Talk.’ In conversation with Dr Megha Bansal, Chief Skilling Officer at WIMA and Leadership Coach, he shares that to empower women in manufacturing, we need to implement intentional hiring, leadership programs, and cultural transformation; only this will bring about systemic change.

Megha: What does women’s empowerment personally mean to you, especially within the context of manufacturing?
Amit Kapur: To me, women’s empowerment means enabling unrestricted access to opportunity, authority, and respect in everyday decision-making, especially in traditionally male-dominated sectors like manufacturing. In manufacturing, it’s about moving beyond tokenism to genuinely co-creating innovation and impact with women across all verticals, from R&D labs to factory floors to boardrooms. At IOTA Group Co., I believe it is our responsibility to make gender inclusivity a core business strategy rather than just a social agenda.

Megha: How would you describe the current state of women’s representation and participation in the manufacturing industry?
Amit Kapur: The industry is undoubtedly at a turning point. While the overall percentage of women in manufacturing in core production, mechanical, and engineering roles remains low, we are seeing meaningful shifts. Companies are investing in gender-sensitive hiring practices, returnship programs, flexible shift structures, and inclusive safety protocols. There’s also a growing recognition of the leadership potential of women in plant operations, innovation, and sustainability functions, which were previously underrepresented.

At IOTA Group Co., we’ve made conscious efforts to challenge the stereotype that manufacturing is a “man’s world.” Our labs, pilot sites, and tech teams are increasingly welcoming women in fields such as engineering, microbiology, data analysis, and project management.

Megha: How is IOTA Group Co. creating pathways for women to grow into leadership and decision-making roles?
Amit Kapur:
We approach this on three levels:

1. Intentional Hiring: We prioritise gender balance at the entry and mid-levels in engineering, project implementation, and innovation.
2. Leadership Fast-Track Programs: Women are nominated into internal leadership cohorts where CXOs, including me, mentor them.
3. Cross-Functional Exposure: We rotate high-performing women across departments, from R&D to strategy to field deployment, ensuring they gain holistic exposure.

The skillsets we find most critical today include design thinking, systems integration, AI-augmented process optimisation, environmental science, and a keen understanding of sustainable manufacturing practices. Women who bring empathy, systems thinking, and resilience excel in these environments.

Megha: What are the biggest challenges women face in manufacturing, and how can organisations address them?
Amit Kapur: The most significant barriers are often unconscious bias, lack of infrastructure for flexible work, and insufficient mentoring. On the factory floor, concerns such as physical safety, access to sanitation, and mechanisms for addressing harassment must be addressed in a decisive manner.

At IOTA Group Co., we have made it standard to include gender bias training as part of leadership onboarding. We have also established anonymous grievance mechanisms and implemented third-party audits, ensuring that all our pilot sites and offices are equipped to provide a safe, dignified, and comfortable environment for our female staff.

We also encourage women to speak up and take ownership of their space, and we support them with our policies.

Megha: What internal initiatives has your group implemented to support women from onboarding to leadership?
Amit Kapur: Our “SheLeads by IOTA” initiative is a flagship program that supports women in science, engineering, and sustainability through sponsored learning and certifications (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, OSHA, water safety), leadership shadowing opportunities with the CXO suite and inclusion in international tech showcases and incubation forums.

One of our most inspiring stories is that of Ms Ameeta Nehra, who now leads the strategic deployment of our pan-India nanobubble pilots and plans the execution strategy for IOTA Group Co. She has represented India at several international clean-tech summits, and her journey symbolises what happens when belief meets backing.

Megha: What is your message to other industry leaders looking to create inclusive workplaces for women?
Amit Kapur: My message is simple – Empowerment starts with infrastructure, but it flourishes with culture. If you’re designing policies, also design pathways. If you’re hiring for diversity, also measure inclusion. The ROI on equity isn’t just moral; it is innovation-driven, retention-led, and performance-proven.

Megha: How can partnerships with skilling organisations like WIMA strengthen the ecosystem for women in manufacturing?
Amit Kapur: WIMA and similar platforms can bridge the last-mile gaps, such as skills, networks, and visibility. By integrating WIMA-certified women into hiring pipelines, co-designing upskilling modules, and collaborating on outreach to Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions, we can expand the talent pool and attract more women to future-ready manufacturing roles. We’d be honoured to partner with WIMA on a joint nanotech-skilling fellowship for women innovators.

Megha: One piece of advice for a young woman considering a career in manufacturing?
Amit Kapur: Don’t shrink yourself to fit the system; rather, reshape the system by showing up fully.
Manufacturing today is not limited to machines and metals; it is also biology, chemistry, design, data, and sustainability. There’s space for every kind of thinker. Be curious. Be bold. And remember that it’s not just about fitting in but about moving forward.