Women Make Up Just 7% Of NHAI Workforce, But Agency Says It Is Paving Way For Better Inclusion

Last Updated:July 19, 2025, 08:30 IST

In the employee breakdown for the year 2023-24, the National Highways Authority of India shared that only 2% of the permanent employees were women: 47 women as against 2,263 men

The NHAI said it is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that champions diversity and empowerment for all. (Representational image: X/@NHAI_Official)

National highway building in India remains an overwhelmingly male-dominated field, with NHAI’s female representation standing at seven per cent, as there are only 799 women among the 10,951 employees engaged by the agency in 2023-24, official data analysed by News18 shows.

In the employee breakdown for the year 2023-24, the National Highways Authority of India shared that only two per cent of the permanent employees were women: 47 women as against 2,263 men.

The majority of the employees engaged by the NHAI were under the “full-time" category. Out of the 5,319 employees, only 342 were women, less than seven per cent.

Out of the total 799 women employees, the highest concentration was among the temporary employees. There were 349 women in the category compared to 2,814 men.

The NHAI workforce structure includes permanent, temporary, full-time, and part-time employees. The data of employees used in the copy primarily reflects individuals directly employed by NHAI, excluding contracted or concessionaire and contractor employees for certain indicators.

The statutory body under the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said that gender diversity remains a focus area, with female hires making a meaningful contribution to the workforce each year.

“While the total number of female recruits has remained steady, the proportion of women hired relative to their applicant pool has been consistently strong," it stated, saying this reflects NHAI’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment and expanding opportunities for women in infrastructure development.

The numbers from the NHAI show that only 60 of 599 new hires in 2023-24 were women, just 10%, similar to the previous year. In the three financial years, starting from 2021-22, a total of 1,841 people were hired, and only 192 of these were women.

South with Better Representation

Southern regional offices show comparatively better inclusion, with women making up nearly 20% of the workforce, still far from parity but significantly higher than the national average.

The lowest share of women is from the central part, three per cent. In the south, there are 819 men and 201 women. In the regional offices (ROs) situated in central India, there are 1,196 men employed against 37 women.

A total of 5,635 employees work at NHAI ROs across the country. The biggest share is from the north, 2,190. The total number of women is just 107 in the north, and overall it is 408.

Women Account for Higher Share of Exits

In 2023-24, a total of 176 employees left the NHAI, including 33 women. The share of women in the exit was almost 19%, despite being only 7% of the staff.

In the three-year period starting 2021-22, a total of 428 people have exited NHAI, including 79 women, 19%.

The NHAI said it is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that champions diversity and empowerment for all.

To promote women’s empowerment, NHAI has made significant strides in hiring women across all levels of the organisation and ensuring gender representation in both leadership and operational roles.

It also said that there has been an increase in permanent female employees, which signifies meaningful progress toward fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

“This upward trend reflects NHAI’s ongoing efforts to create equitable opportunities and encourage the greater participation of women in the infrastructure sector. By actively hiring and retaining female professionals, NHAI is not only enhancing workforce diversity but also reinforcing the commitment to gender-balanced growth," the agency said.

The government, time and again, has highlighted the need for the inclusion of women in all fields. If NHAI’s stated intent is matched with targeted hiring, workplace support, and transparent benchmarks, India’s roads may finally begin to reflect not just engineering ambition but social equity as well.

Nivedita Singh

Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived...Read More

Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived...

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