Tamil Nadu has further solidified its dominance in women-led electronics manufacturing during the 2024-25 fiscal year. Data from the latest Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) reveals that the state now accounts for 44.4% of all directly employed women in India engaged in the manufacturing of computer, electronic, and optical products, marking a rise from the 42.9% share recorded in 2023-24. Similarly, the state’s portion of directly employed women in the electrical equipment manufacturing sector increased from 25.5% to 26.2% over the same period.
This shift in industrial concentration contrasts with developments in Gujarat, which experienced a notable decline in its share of women in these specific manufacturing categories. Gujarat’s share of directly employed women in computer, electronic, and optical product manufacturing fell from 10% to 7.4%, while its share in electrical equipment production dropped from 6.5% to 4%. These declines were attributed to a reduction in the number of directly employed women in the state—a decrease of 335 in the electronics sector and 942 in electrical equipment manufacturing.
Assessing the true scale of female labor remains complex due to the prevalence of contract workers. The ASI does not provide a gender-wise breakdown for contract labor, leaving a gap in understanding the total workforce composition. Nationally, the number of directly employed female factory workers rose by 96,907 to reach 17.38 lakh in 2024-25. In comparison, the number of male factory workers increased by 4.54 lakh, while the count of contract workers saw a rise of 5.77 lakh, bringing the total number of contract staff to 70.31 lakh.
Tamil Nadu’s strategy has often been linked to the adoption of a model similar to that observed in China, where the provision of residential dormitories for women workers serves as a critical policy intervention. By addressing common barriers such as the distance between living quarters and workplaces, the state has maintained its status as the region with the highest number of factories and workers in the country. A March 2025 report from the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission highlighted that 55% of migrant workers in the Chennai region are employed in the manufacturing sector, with a significant majority originating from Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
Nationally, the manufacturing landscape showed signs of sustained expansion. The number of factories across India rose by 2.6% to 2.7 lakh, marking the first time in over a decade that the country has recorded factory growth exceeding 2% for two consecutive years. Total factory workers also saw an increase of 7.3% to 1.67 crore. The ASI, which covers the formal manufacturing sector, remains a vital tool for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in calculating national GDP and shaping industrial policy.
While Tamil Nadu expanded its direct female employment, contract labor trends varied by state. Tamil Nadu saw a reduction of 6,624 contract workers in the electronics and optical products segment, while Karnataka reported an increase of 19,236 contract workers in the same category during the fiscal year. As India continues to prioritize manufacturing growth, the integration of workforce housing and the management of formal versus contract employment remain central themes in regional industrial development.
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