Tata Steel to deploy women in night shifts at Jamshedpur plant under inclusive workforce policy

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Tata Steel has announced that it will start deploying women employees in night shifts at its Jamshedpur manufacturing facility, as part of a broader inclusion drive aimed at building a gender-diverse industrial workforce.

The initiative aligns with the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy, which promotes equal opportunities across all operational roles, including those traditionally held by men. Tata Steel stated that the move follows state labour approvals and includes extensive safety measures such as dedicated transport, security protocols, and medical assistance.

This step marks the expansion of a pilot programme initiated at Tata Steel’s Kalinganagar and Jajpur plants, where women have already been working in continuous shifts with positive outcomes in performance and engagement.

“Tata Steel has always believed that a diverse workplace fosters innovation and growth,” said a company spokesperson. “Enabling women to participate in production roles across all shifts is key to achieving true equality in manufacturing.”

The company has also introduced policies around flexible rosters, on-site childcare, and leadership mentorship programs to ensure long-term retention of women in industrial roles.

Industry observers view this as a landmark decision that could encourage other manufacturing companies to follow suit, given India’s growing focus on women’s workforce participation and labour law reforms supporting gender-neutral shift work.