Bengaluru-based electric vehicle start-up Ola is planning to employ over 10,000 women in its manufacturing facility. It claims that with 10,000 women workforce, it will be the world's largest women-only factory and the only all-women automotive manufacturing facility globally.
In a blog, Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola Electric said, “We have invested significantly to train and up-skill them in core manufacturing skills and they will be responsible for the entire production of every vehicle manufactured at the Ola Futurefactory.”
Enabling women with economic opportunities improves not just their lives but that of their families and indeed the whole community, Aggarwal said. In fact, studies show that just providing women parity in the labour workforce can grow India’s GDP by 27%, he added.
Aggarwal also asserted that this requires active and conscious efforts from everyone, especially in manufacturing, where participation remains the lowest at just 12%. For India to be the world’s manufacturing hub, we must prioritise up-skilling and generating employment for our women workforce, he said.
The Ola Futurefactory is one step towards the company’s vision of the world’s future – a world with clean mobility, a carbon-negative footprint, and an inclusive workforce. Ola Electric launched its first electric scooter S1 and S1Pro on August 15, 2021. Commercial deliveries are yet to begin.