What is the Female Labour Share Across India’s Major Industries? The Data Tells a Striking Story

India’s manufacturing sector reveals a deeply uneven gender pattern — some industries are overwhelmingly female-driven, while others remain almost entirely male-dominated.

Female Labour-Dominated Industries

At the top of the list sits tobacco manufacturing, where women make up a staggering 93.4% of the workforce, compared to just 6.6% men. This is largely driven by bidi-making, one of India’s most labour-intensive cottage industries.

Apparel manufacturing follows with 64.7% female participation, making it one of the largest formal employers of women in the country. Textiles sit closer to gender parity, with women accounting for 47.9% of workers against 52.1% men.

The Gender Gap Widens Elsewhere

Beyond these three sectors, the numbers shift sharply in favor of male employment:

What This Reveals

The data highlights a clear pattern: industries requiring manual, low-wage labour — like tobacco and apparel — employ far more women, while capital-intensive, technically skilled sectors like auto, machinery, and electronics remain heavily male-dominated. Notably, several studies have also found that female-heavy sectors like tobacco and apparel tend to offer significantly lower average wages, raising deeper questions about pay equity within India’s industrial workforce.

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