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Lodha, India's No. 1 real estate developer*, has marked a historic milestone in the construction industry with the commencement of its inaugural all-women construction management team. A pivotal moment for gender diversity in the Indian real estate sector, this groundbreaking team comprising 12 remarkable women, embarked on their journey leading the construction at one of the developments in Mumbai.
The construction industry has long been characterized by a gender gap, with women occupying only a fraction of the workforce and managerial roles. Out of the 57 million workers in the sector, a mere 12% are women, with managerial positions held by only 1-2% of them.
Lodha's decision to form an all-women construction management team underscores its steadfast commitment to fostering gender diversity, equality, and excellence in the workplace. By providing opportunities for women to excel in core construction roles, this pioneering initiative aims not only toward women's empowerment but also to catalyse industry-wide transformation.
Celebrating this feat, Mr. Abhishek Lodha, MD & CEO, Lodha emphasized the importance of women's involvement in every aspect of economic activity for the prosperity and growth of the nation.
He said, “This is an important milestone for Lodha and the entire leadership who conceived and executed this thought of the first all-women construction management team. In our culture, women have always played the crucial role of shaping our home - as a mother, a daughter, or a wife. The Lodha all-women team along with support from the entire design team, which is also all-women is going to deliver one of the largest projects in the Mumbai region. It is a proud moment for us that this has become a reality. It is imperative for Indian society and economy that women are deeply involved in every section of the economic activity, which will bring significant national prosperity and growth that India is eagerly looking forward to.”
Before breaking ground, the 12 remarkable women underwent rigorous training, participating in 37 on-the-job sessions totalling over 122.5 hours across six months. These sessions covered all facets of construction, blending practical on-site experiences with classroom learning. On-the-job training has been recognized as a need across industries and in construction. It has been cited as difficult to do and hasn’t been well used to increase the required workforce to meet demands. Therefore, the frequency, intensity and duration of this on-the-job training to date, which is ongoing and will continue post-ground breaking, is also a unique aspect of this initiative which the company hopes to learn from in its own right for potentially replicating in the future. It has been recognized as an enabler for inclusion in the industry.
