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Volvo CE launches operator training programme for women in India
22 May 2025
Sweden-based construction OEM Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has expanded its Iron Women vocational training program to India, aiming to address a persistent gender imbalance in the industry while helping meet demand for skilled machine operators and technicians.
An operator uses a Volvo CE excavator as part of the Iron Women operator and technician training programme recently launched in India. Image: Volvo CE
Developed in partnership with Volvo CE India, dealer Pollutech Engineering, and mining contractor Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited (KCCL), the programme provides hands-on training and certification for women. The OEM said it also increases access to vocational training for underprivledged communities.
The Iron Women programme includes operator training, workshop technician instruction and factory floor technician development.
Volvo CE said the initiative is designed to tackle three related challenges: limited access to training for women, a lack of industry diversity, and an ongoing regional shortage of qualified operators and technicians.
A participant of the Iron Women programme in India getting hands-on technician training. Image: Volvo CE
“The Iron Women Program is a powerful step towards shaping an inclusive future in our industry,” said Tomas Kuta, head of sales for Asia at Volvo CE. “It is not just about training women – it is about unlocking potential, creating opportunities, and reshaping perceptions.”
Participants are trained on Volvo CE equipment and placed at jobsites managed by Pollutech Engineering and KCCL, gaining experience and the necessary credentials to seek employment in the field.
One trainee, Laxmi Naik, said, “I came here unsure of what I could do, now I leave with a skill, a voice, and the courage to dream bigger.”
Pollutech CEO Dilip Tripathi added, “Empowering women through skill development isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do.”
Originally launched by Volvo Trucks in 2016, the Iron Women model has supported over 700 women across 10 countries. Volvo CE introduced its own version last year in Ukraine to support postwar reconstruction. The India expansion began in March.
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