In an industry once driven by pure mechanics, code has become the new horsepower, and women are writing it.
18 Mar 2025 | 1212 Views | By Prerna Lidhoo & Mayank Dhingra
Throughout her career, Angelin Mary GP found herself as the only woman in rooms full of men—whether in engineering meetings at the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) or around leadership tables at Delphi Automotive, and Honeywell. The challenges were clear, but Angelin never backed down. “I have developed this ...
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Throughout her career, Angelin Mary GP found herself as the only woman in rooms full of men—whether in engineering meetings at the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) or around leadership tables at Delphi Automotive, and Honeywell. The challenges were clear, but Angelin never backed down. “I have developed this attitude or habit of not always being conscious of my gender. (I think of it as just) me playing that role. I think that helped me in not being submissive, and speaking my mind with confidence,” she says.
Today, as the Vice President of Vehicle Software at Daimler Truck Innovation Centre India (DTICI), Angelin is at the helm of the industry’s shift towards software-defined vehicles, steering teams that are shaping the future of mobility. “I was one of the few women in engineering and even as I rose up in the career ladder, I was one of the youngest leaders,” she adds. But her story is less about her personal achievements and more about how the rise of software and e-R&D is opening doors for women like her to step into leadership roles that were once nearly impossible to breach.
The journey of Latha Chembrakalam, head of Technical Centre India, Continental Automotive India, followed a similar path. “Decades back, I used to travel to Germany for meetings, and for many years, I was the only woman at the table. It was just how things were. The encouraging part is that more women are rising through the ranks now, and many are genuinely committed to building lasting careers. Four years back, I did not have even one lady executive under me. Now we have four,” she says.
Having spent over three decades in the industry, Chembrakalam says that there’s steady progress in the number of women joining the workforce— not just at entry-level positions, but at all levels. Not too long ago, women in automotive companies–if present–were often relegated to administrative roles, far from the core fields of engineering, design, and decision-making. Today, in an industry once driven by pure mechanics, code has become the new horsepower, and women are writing it.
“There are a lot of changes, not just because of the policies or procedures but also as the software content in the vehicle keeps increasing, it also encourages women to be part of these industries, even on the assembly line,” Angelin said. According to Padmaja AR, executive vice president and member of executive leadership at Bosch Global Software Technologies, the industry is going through a phase where stereotypes are being broken down.
“The industry's transformation is multidimensional, encompassing digitisation, electrification, the rise of software-defined vehicles, and more. This fundamentally changes the talent landscape of the auto sector. The expertise required is gender-neutral and not specific to the automotive domain, eliminating entry barriers and opening doors to talent from various industries. This creates significant opportunities for women to enter and advance at all levels in the automotive sector. While progress is still needed for a balanced mix, emerging trends are clearly charting a new course in this direction,” she said. As the automotive industry undergoes far-reaching changes, new opportunities are emerging for women to take on significant roles.
Hitesh Garg, Vice President and India Country Manager at NXP Semiconductors, believes that e-R&D is at the heart of this shift. “At NXP India, we see engineering R&D as a crucial enabler for increasing women’s participation in the automotive industry,” he says. Garg adds that NXP is investing in STEM education initiatives, partnering with universities, and running mentorship programmes to encourage more women to enter the field. According to Garg, the industry’s move towards digital innovation, connected mobility, and autonomous driving has been a game-changer.
“The shift towards digital innovation, connected mobility, and autonomous driving has opened up roles that leverage women’s expertise in software, analytics, and system integration, making it a major driver of female participation in the industry,” he said.
Changing Skill Sets
Chembrakalam recalls that when she graduated, there were just four girls in a class of 40. “But if you go to any engineering college, irrespective of whatever stream, you will see at least 50% girls there. So that itself is a fundamental shift which has happened in education. And women are also daring to choose unconventional paths and they are willing to excel in whichever field they grow,” she said.
The evolving landscape has also redefined the skills required to excel in the automotive sector. Where once the entry ticket was a degree in mechanical engineering or years spent on the factory floor, now it’s proficiency in Python, expertise in machine learning, and an understanding of cloud architecture. “The automotive vehicle, which was a mechanical device that took us from point A to Point B, is now transforming into an IoT device connected to the cloud all the time. Which means that we have more people working on software, and the perception that this is a hardcore mechanical industry is changing,” she said.
As the automotive industry shifts from mechanical engineering to a software-driven approach, new opportunities are opening up for women to take the lead, Shantanu Das, Chief Architect – Automotive at Sasken Technologies, says: “Traditionally, the field of automotive has been more male-dominated. But with the rise of electronics and software under the hood, the industry is moving towards a more inclusive environment, paving the way for more women to choose automotive as their field of work, and creating roles that demand skills in software development, data analysis, and electrical engineering.”
Das emphasises that this shift is empowering women to take on leadership positions. “The majority of vehicle functions are now controlled by software, and women are leading the industry with their skills to redefine the automotive landscape,” he said. This change is also prompting companies to promote inclusive work environments. Flexible work arrangements, supportive policies, and a focus on diversity are becoming the norm.
But it’s not just about filling seats—it’s about changing the conversation. With more women at the table, the focus has expanded to include safety and convenience features that consider different physical builds and design elements that prioritise accessibility and user-centric interfaces. The very definition of a “driver” is evolving, thanks in part to the perspectives these women bring. “We are increasingly moving towards a time when consumers are more interested in the personalisation of the driving experience, overall surrounding systems inside a vehicle which provides comfort and convenience, etc.
To navigate these new expectations and trends like SDV and electrification, automotive expertise must be combined with domain-agnostic technology skills,” Bosch’s Padmaja said. Fortunately, she adds, these skills are transferable across industries, allowing automotive companies to tap into a broader talent pool. “For instance, while automotive, energy, and healthcare sectors require specialised knowledge, they all share a demand for data scientists, AI engineers, cloud consultants and other tech experts,” she explains. The Bosch Group, she adds, wants to further increase the proportion of women in leadership positions, which – across all management levels – is currently at 20% (2023- 24).
The aim is that by 2030, at least one in four leadership positions at Bosch worldwide should be held by a woman. Padmaja feels that the shift allows a workforce with strong technical skills, even without deep industryspecific knowledge, to add value and drive innovation in traditional sectors like automotive. “As a significant part of this workforce, experienced women in technology will find it easier to enter sectors that were once less accessible to them,” she notes.
The way talent is evaluated in the industry has evolved significantly over the years. “In the past, hiring decisions were primarily based on IQ—intelligence quotient—which measured a person’s analytical and problem-solving abilities,” Chembrakalam explains. However, as the industry progressed, the focus expanded to include EQ, or emotional quotient, which emphasises understanding and managing emotions, both personally and in teams. But today, two additional factors have become equally important: LQ, the learnability quotient, and AQ, the adaptability quotient.
The learnability quotient reflects a person’s ability to acquire new skills and knowledge quickly, which is crucial in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Meanwhile, the adaptability quotient measures how well someone can adjust to new challenges and evolving environments— skills that are essential for thriving in an industry that’s constantly transforming. “All four—IQ, EQ, LQ, and AQ—are now equally important for success, regardless of the field,” she emphasises.
This holistic approach to evaluating talent not only levels the playing field but also supports the idea that women can excel in any area without limitations. However, she is quick to point out that while these qualities are vital, they must be built on a strong foundation of core engineering skills. “There is no glass ceiling—women can excel in any field. But these fundamentals have to be very clear, and your core engineering skills must be in place,” she asserts.
The automotive industry is undergoing a massive transformation, and workforce diversity is expected to expand, alongside technological advancements in the future, says NXP’s Garg. There are several key trends anticipated to shape gender diversity in the automotive workforce, he notes. First, there will likely be higher female representation in R&D and leadership roles due to the growing demand for AI, cybersecurity, and semiconductor innovations, encouraging more women to take up key positions in E-R&D and software development.
Stronger industry-academia collaboration is also on the horizon, with companies like NXP partnering with universities, government skill programmes, and STEM initiatives to build a sustainable pipeline of women in automotive tech. Despite this progress, challenges remain. Although women make up 30% of the workforce at the base level in automotive R&D, their representation drops to just 18% at the middle-management level. Chembrakalam says that this culture of inclusivity has to be driven from the top.
“The engagement, commitment, and the authenticity with which we drive at the top is very important. At the same time, from the other side, from the women, there is a lot of drop outs when they are in their mid-career. That is, sometimes, because of the lack of support systems. It is also because of fear of failure. If you take a break, what happens to your career? I think these unconscious biases and fears from the women's side are there,” she said.
She feels that mentoring and the right amount of networking and resilience can help women overcome these challenges. According to Rajat Mahajan, Partner at Deloitte India, this trend is not just about filling quotas but about enhancing business outcomes. “If you have such insights at an early stage, you’ll be able to make the product better for the users, by having this diverse mix,” he explains. However, the challenge lies in retaining women beyond entry-level positions.
“Consciously, people are trying to get a higher percentage of women at entry levels in areas like design, R&D, and software-defined vehicles,” Mahajan notes, but dropout rates at the mid-management level remain a concern. To address this, many OEMs are setting internal targets to boost female representation in senior leadership, aiming for 20% to 25% of their senior management roles to be held by women.
This push for diversity is not just a matter of optics. As Mahajan puts it, “It’s a business thing—it’s not something that you’re doing to show the outside world that you are equal, but because the ‘SHEconomy’ is growing, and if your management team lacks equal representation of women, how can you make informed decisions for a customer base that is rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly diverse?” As the customer base becomes more diverse, bringing more women into decision-making roles is essential—and the growing participation of women in R&D is just the starting point.