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Swaniti Initiative and Purpose convened a multi-stakeholder dialogue bringing together four women parliamentarians, women truck drivers, and fleet operators to outline strategies for gender-inclusive freight electrification. The discussion highlighted the lived experiences of women in the freight sector and emphasized their emerging role as leaders in India’s transition to cleaner transport.
With India’s trucking market poised for rapid growth, the sector is expected to generate nearly 30 million jobs by 2050, with over 21% linked to zero-emission trucks (ZETs). This transition presents a significant opportunity to address gender disparities across the value chain. Saudamini Zutshi of Purpose noted that women’s participation in India’s EV workforce has already reached 11–15%, signaling early progress. Uma Bhattacharya of Swaniti Initiative stressed the importance of policy support shaped by voices within the green economy to ensure a gender-balanced transition.
Despite positive momentum, challenges remain. Reema Jogani, CEO of Reema Logistics, pointed to the need for better infrastructure such as CCTV-enabled parking and safer facilities, while highlighting that women drivers often prefer local routes to balance caregiving responsibilities. Ummatunbibi Jahangir Shaikh, an electric bus pilot, shared that EV adoption has improved both her income and social respect, encouraging more women to enter the field.
Women parliamentarians, including Dr. Fauzia Khan, Dr. Sangeeta Balwant, Adv. Priya Saroj, and Mahima Kumari Mewar, called for collaborative action across government, industry, and society to ensure inclusive policymaking and infrastructure design. They also underscored the need to shift societal mindsets and increase visibility of women in the sector.
The dialogue concluded that India’s clean freight transition is not just a technological shift but a people-centric transformation. Ensuring meaningful participation of women will be key to building an inclusive and sustainable freight future.
