‘Braking’ stereotypes: The women taking over India’s electric vehicle drive

Pratibha Kumbhar, a 35-year-old mother of two, is making up for lost time.

Trained in soldering, she aspired to pursue a career in electrical work but hemmed saris for her husband’s tailor shop in the west Indian city of Pune until two years ago, when she found work in the country’s fast-expanding electric vehicle (EV) sector.

Kumbhar’s ambition, stalled by motherhood and safety worries about working in a roadside electrical shop, has now taken wings as she assembles circuits for EV speedometers at a factory in Pune – her first job as a formal worker with fixed wages.