Progress From Perambalur

Industrial Economist (IE): Why does your vision consistently align with women empowerment?
Dr J Rafiq Ahmed (RA): I strongly believe that when a woman is empowered, the entire ecosystem transforms, from her family to the nation. Women are deeply dedicated, balancing work and family with commitment. Their earnings often support children’s education, health, welfare, and future savings. Greater fe­male workforce participation is essential for India’s economic growth and its jour­ney towards becoming a true economic superpower.

IE: How has your work contributed to women empowerment?
RA: I derive immense satisfaction from empowering women. Determined to cre­ate opportunities for rural women, often excluded due to family constraints or safety concerns, I set up a footwear man­ufacturing unit in Perambalur. Today, thousands of local women are employed there. We plan to employ more than 100,000 women soon. We provide skilling, shoe-making training and in­dustrial exposure, enabling success regardless of educational background. After Perambalur’s success, we are expanding to Karur and other districts in Tamil Nadu too.

IE: What role should men play in increasing women’s workforce participation?
RA : Acceptance and mindset are crucial. In some places, men still be­lieve they must be sole breadwinners while women manage the home. Though change is happening, such thinking must evolve. Men should actively encourage women to join and thrive in the workforce. As a fa­ther of a daughter, I want her to contribute confidently after graduation. Supporting women’s growth is a shared responsibility. It will create stronger families, workplaces and a more progressive nation.

IE: What are the main challenges in inte­grating rural women into the workforce?
RA: When working with rural women, the first challenge is their lack of expo­sure to industry, as they often come from housewife or agricultural backgrounds. Educating, training and skilling them for an industrial environment is a significant hurdle, but we are overcoming it and they are adapting well.

IE: What safety measures are implement­ed to ensure a secure workplace?
RA: We have women security person­nel on buses, provide lunch and give prompt salaries. This assures their fam­ily members that they are safe. Inside the factory, we also have many women se­curity guards and a system where issues can be reported anonymously, which will reach me. The entire area is covered by CCTV and each and everyone of them is given a chair to sit and work comfortably. Through this manufacturing unit we aim to change the mindset in the rural areas and demonstrate that women working and supporting the system is essential.

IE: Have you seen an increase in self-con­fidence among the women you employ?
RA: Yes, absolutely. I got video messages from many women working in my factory, thanking me for the job opportunity and sharing how their lives have changed. They now earn and are financially independent. They are invited to family discussion and their decisions are respected. This leads to a signifi­cant increase in their self-confidence.

IE: What initiatives and policies does the govern­ment take to empower women?
RA: The government is already providing a lot of support for women empowerment, call it free buses for women to go to work, Thozhi hostels for women to stay if their house is far away from their work lo­cation or the factory etc. However, implementation primarily rests with industries. I encourage industrialists to come forward, create factories and seek government support. The gov­ernment can create policies, but it’s the responsibility of industrialists to create employment and work with the government. This creates a win-win situation where the government supports industries and everyone works towards the single cause of women empowerment.

IE: What advice would you give to young women?
RA: My advice and request to young women is to come out immediately and not wait any longer. Choose an area you like, focus on it and start working towards it. Work somewhere, get trained and strive to become a leader. A leader is not just an owner or someone lead­ing an entire organisation; leaders are people who make decisions. Learn to make decisions, and you will automatically become a leader. In the process of learn­ing leadership, you will face corrections, but don’t get upset. Try again, and you will not fail next time.