Tata Steel on Monday operationalised an all-woman shift at its Noamundi iron ore mine in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand from Monday, claiming to be “India’s first all-woman shift” in such a mine.

“This initiative, India’s first, underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to creating an equitable workplace and empowering women in traditionally male-dominated industries,” read a communique issued by Tata Steel.

The work schedule will comprise women employees for all the mining activities of the shift, including heavy earth moving machinery, shovel, loader, drill, dozer operators and shift supervision.

The all-woman shift was flagged off by deputy director-general mines safety (DGMS) south east region, Ranchi Jharkhand, Shyam Sundar Prasad.

Addressing the event, Prasad emphasised the commitment of the government to a progressive workplace and mentioned that the decision by DGMS to permit the deployment of women in all shifts in mining in 2019 was a key step in the right direction.

He also appreciated Tata Steel’s pioneering effort in taking the lead as a responsible corporate in promoting such causes.

“This all-woman shift represents a landmark achievement not only for Tata Steel but also for the Indian mining industry. It is a testament to the resilience and capability of women breaking stereotypes.

"It is also a reflection of our belief that diversity and inclusion are essential for driving innovation and operational excellence. We are proud to lead this change and will continue to create more opportunities for women, especially in our mining ecosystem. This initiative marks a significant addition to the 100 glorious years of mining at Noamundi,” said vice-president (raw materials), Tata Steel, D.B. Sundara Ramam.

Tata Steel’s communique claimed that the journey began in 2019 with the launch of Tata Steel's flagship diversity initiative, "Women@Mines", making it the first company in India to deploy women in all shifts at its mines, following the government of India’s landmark relaxation of the Mines Act, 1952.

“Building on this, the company introduced the “Tejaswini” initiative, aimed at recruiting and training women from local communities to operate heavy earth moving machinery and participate in the mining ecosystem,” the communique added.

Under the “Tejaswini 2.0” programme launched in 2021, women from nearby communities were rigorously trained and inducted as heavy earth moving machinery operators.

The initiative was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and women were deployed across roles such as dumper, shovel, dozer, grader and drill operators. They underwent extensive training, including technical and operational skills, simulator sessions, safety protocols and physical fitness, before joining the workforce in April 2022.