Jharkhand, a state once widely associated with trafficking of women, child marriage, and poverty, is now witnessing a transformative shift. The rise of garment manufacturing units such as Orient Craft has created meaningful employment opportunities for more than 4,000 women, with a vision to expand this number to over 12,000 in the coming years. The largest RMG unit in Ranchi has achieved remarkable gender inclusion, with nearly 50% of mid-level management positions held by women. Key leadership roles — including Plant Head, Head of Compliance and HR, are led by women.
“Today, we have over 4,000 women whose lives we have been able to change, and as a company we have decided that more than 90% of our workforcewill always be women, for which we have a training centre in place. Right now, we are operating at only 25% of our capacity. At full capacity, we will employ more than 12,000 women,” says Sudhir Dhingra, Founder and CMD of the company.
To build trust within communities, the company’s team visited villages, and encouraged women to explore employment opportunities in garment manufacturing. Training centres were established across rural Jharkhand, and upon completion of training, women were placed in jobs at the Ranchi facility.
Orient Craft works with prestigious global brands such as AEO, NEXT, Polo, J.Crew, Rails, The Great, and Zimmerman. The company also receives brand support for women empowerment initiatives and is in discussions with NEXT to launch projects focused on tribal women.
The company’s in-house initiative, UDAAN – GIVE HER WINGS, extends beyond employment to focus on women’s health, education, respect, financial literacy and self defence. The global sustainability teams at Ann Inc., Next, and AEO have recognized this initiative.
“Women who were previously working in garment factories in other states are now returning to work closer to home,” adds Nisha Tomar, VP, who has been working with the company for 15 years and leading the Ranchi Plant now.
Women Who Defied the Odds
| Preeti Kumari A widow facing severe financial hardship, Preeti joined Orient Craft as a thread cutter. Today, she serves as a Supervisor. Jyoti Munda Belonging to a tribal family from Tatisilway village, Jyoti joined as a trainer in the sweater division and now manages responsibilities in the technical department. Pushpa (Ramgarh) She joined as a trainee and was promoted to a supervisory role in the R&D and Sampling Department. Sujata Preeti (Tailoring Unit) |
