By: Rahul Koul
Last updated : August 10, 2025 9:30 pm
From research labs to shop floors, women are challenging norms but deep-rooted hurdles remain
Despite being one of the fastest-growing sectors in India, the chemicals and petrochemicals industry remains heavily male-dominated, with women accounting for only a small fraction of the workforce—especially in technical and leadership roles. As the industry gears up for a new era of innovation, sustainability, and global competitiveness, the push for greater gender diversity is becoming both a social and strategic imperative.
Women business leaders from chemical industry recently at the tenth session of 5th edition of the NextGen Chemicals and Petrochemicals Summit 2025 themed ‘Preparing for the future' in Mumbai on June 18-19, 2025.
The session titled ‘Women in Chemicals and Petrochemicals in India’ was moderated by Aashish Kasad, Senior Partner & National Leader (Chemicals & Agri sector – India), EY emphasized the importance of women’s participation across all levels of the chemical and petrochemical value chain.
“Women make up nearly half of India’s population and are also end-consumers of a wide range of chemical and petrochemical products. It’s essential not only to include them in the workforce but also to empower them in senior leadership roles and as entrepreneurs within the sector. Their unique perspectives can drive innovation, enable more balanced decision-making, and offer organizations a competitive edge. To truly benefit from this potential, companies must focus on building inclusive workplace cultures, ensuring robust support systems, and prioritizing the safety and well-being of their women employees."
Priyamvada Bhumkar, Managing Director, Soujanya Color Pvt. Ltd. shared her views on the value women bring to science-driven industries like chemicals and the traits that fuel entrepreneurial success.
“Women bring a unique perspective to leadership and innovation, often shaped by their innate qualities as nurturers. Traits such as patience, resilience, and emotional intelligence, naturally ingrained through lived experience, are incredibly valuable, especially in areas like process innovation where persistence and balance are critical.
“I have often observed that women are naturally inclined toward environmental stewardship, which further aligns with the growing global focus on sustainability. When it comes to science and knowledge, intellect knows no gender. However, the complementary strengths women possess, like their ability to bring stability, empathy, and a long-term view, can make a real difference in shaping thoughtful, inclusive, and effective strategies.
“I find the journey of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw deeply inspiring. She started Biocon in a small shed and grew it into one of India’s leading biotech companies. Her story is a testament to what women can achieve with vision and determination. To succeed, three things are essential: a passion for continuous learning, the confidence to believe in yourself, and the courage to take bold steps, even in the face of obstacles. Of course, one must also have sound analytical ability, decision-making skills, and the capability to work collaboratively.
“These traits are not gender-specific, but the resolve to stay the course, especially through challenges, is where women can truly shine. We need to nurture and support more women to step into leadership roles and build businesses that reflect the full spectrum of human capability.”
Dr. Achala Danait, Dean, Strategy & Industry Partnerships; Director, SIRAC, Professor, Chemical & Polymer Sciences, Somaiya Vidyavihar University shared her insights drawn from over two decades in the chemical industry.
“Having been part of the chemical industry for the past 25 years, I’ve seen a shift in interest among young people, both women and men, away from core sciences like chemistry. It is not just a gender issue; the broader challenge is that chemistry and chemical engineering are no longer perceived as attractive career paths. Instead, many are gravitating toward trending fields like data science, AI/ML, and tech-led disciplines.
“This makes it even more important to reframe the narrative around chemistry and its importance in solving global challenges. Another issue often discussed is the industry-academia disconnect. While it’s frequently said that academia doesn’t produce industry-ready graduates, the reality is that the industry also needs to step up and engage more proactively in the education ecosystem. We’ve repeatedly invited industry stakeholders to contribute their expertise, but participation remains limited.
“At Somaiya Vidyavihar University, we’ve taken concrete steps to bridge this gap. Under our Centre for Strategic Industry Partnerships, we’ve built four key pillars to enhance industry engagement. One initiative I’d like to highlight is ‘We Chemie’—a unique program designed to empower female students in chemical sciences. Launched in partnership with BASF as part of their CSR effort, the program offers a three-month certification course for BSc and MSc women students. The results have been very encouraging: 44% of the graduates are now working in manufacturing, 30% in R&D, and the rest in shop-floor operations and sales/marketing roles. Programs like this show that with the right support, we can make the chemical industry more inclusive, future-ready, and appealing to the next generation.”
Deepa Arora, Director - Human Resources & Communications, Arkema emphasized the need to learn from global practices and leadership commitment towards encouraging women.
"The chemical and petrochemical sector in India is at a pivotal juncture where learning from global best practices can significantly enhance innovation, talent retention, and future-readiness. Adapting international insights to the Indian context will enable us to build more inclusive pathways for women professionals in the industry.
“One of the foundational practices is strong leadership commitment towards setting the tone at the top. Diversity must be positioned as a strategic business priority, not merely an HR metric. It needs to be embedded in the organization’s core performance framework. Another critical step is adopting a data-driven approach to diversity. Organizations should actively track metrics related to hiring, promotions, compensation, and attrition, disaggregated by gender, region, function, and level.
“Gender audits should be conducted regularly to identify gaps and guide targeted interventions. Proactive engagement with talent pipelines—such as engineering colleges, ITIs, and technical institutes should start early. We must also be open to gender-sensitive job design, which could include rethinking shift structures, creating flexible or non-linear career paths, and minimizing penalties for career breaks. Finally, showcasing successful role models through social media, campus talks, and industry forums can inspire and attract more women to pursue careers in chemicals and petrochemicals. This cultural shift, driven by thoughtful policies and leadership commitment, will help create more equitable and resilient organizations.”
Shillpa Chabria, Director HR – India, Middle East and Africa, The Lubrizol Corporation highlighted the need for building a truly inclusive culture and a mindset shift at every level of the organization.
“The underrepresentation of women in top leadership roles within the chemical industry isn’t unique to this sector, It is a broader workforce issue seen across industries. Many women tend to step away from their careers due to major life events such as marriage, maternity, caregiving responsibilities, or relocation. While these are natural transitions, they often result in talented professionals not returning to the workforce. Recognizing this, organizations are increasingly launching initiatives to support women in resuming their careers after a break. At Lubrizol, for instance, we have introduced the ‘Revive’ program, which is specifically designed to welcome women back into the workplace after a sabbatical and provide them with the right opportunities to rebuild their careers with confidence.
“Another core challenge is the limited number of women entering the industry from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) backgrounds. Although the gender balance in STEM education is improving, it will likely take another 8–10 years before we see a significant pipeline of women with technical expertise rising into leadership positions. This gap means that efforts must begin much earlier, within schools, families, and social circles, to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers.
“Additionally, women should be made aware of the wide range of roles available beyond traditional functions, from R&D to manufacturing, quality, marketing, and operations. Companies must continue to create platforms and support systems, but inclusion goes beyond representation. It’s not just about having women at the table, it is about ensuring their voices are heard, valued, and acted upon.”
The 5th edition of NextGen Chemicals and Petrochemicals Summit 2025 themed ‘Preparing for the future' witnessed massive attendance by leading industry experts and stakeholders from pan India. The 12 sessions at the two-day event were attended by a total of 85 speakers and more than 500 delegates.
The Country Partner of the event was Flanders Investment & Trade. The State Partner was Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (EDB). The Principal Partner was DCM Shriram Chemicals. The Gold Partners included Revvity Signals, Ingenero, Tubacex, GloGreen, BTG (A Voith company), Gujarat Fluorochemicals, Excel Industries, Epsilon Carbon, Aquapharm, HPCL, BPCL, and WoodField.
The Associate Partners were Zodiac Tank Container Terminals, ReGreen Excel and AnalytikJena. The Supporting Partner was Archroma.
Industry Association Partners of the event included AMAI, CropLife, Gujarat Chemical Association, and Agro Chem Federation of India.