By Kavita Mistry 
In Vadodara, a ground-breaking initiative is reshaping India’s infrastructure narrative. Larsen & Toubro’s all-women-run factory is at the heart of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, producing noise barriers for India’s first bullet train. This facility, driven entirely by women professionals, symbolizes not only technological advancement but a powerful shift in gender roles within a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Women Engineers Driving Precision and Scale in India’s Bullet Train Project
Adithiya R, Planning Incharge at L&T, recalls joining the company straight out of college as a Graduate Engineer Trainee. Assigned to the precast division, she and her peers learned the intricacies of creating concrete panels off-site to accelerate project timelines. Over time, the team of women grew from 30% to full leadership, working together to deliver innovation and efficiency at scale. Their output—90,000 precast noise barriers monthly—supports a 508 km rail line designed to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad at 320 km/hr.
The scale of their work is enormous. Six factories across Gujarat, including those in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Anand, contribute to this mega operation. Each noise barrier stands 2 meters tall, 1-meter-wide, and weighs 840 kg. So far, over 200,000 units have been installed along more than 100 km of the viaduct, drastically reducing noise pollution for nearby residents. Quality Incharge Niranjana G ensures strict adherence to standards, from material inspection to final panel dispatch, maintaining consistency and reliability across every unit.
Building Sustainably, Leading Boldly: Women Powering India’s Bullet Train Future
Sustainability is also a priority. The factory is equipped with an automatic concrete supply system and advanced casting machinery that enables production of 24 segments daily. It uses gas-fired vapour generators instead of diesel boilers to reduce emissions and operational costs. As a mobile factory, it’s designed to be relocated for future projects, minimizing waste and maximizing impact.
More than a construction effort, this factory represents empowerment. Women like Rangu Sravanthi, Production Incharge, lead daily operations—briefing teams, managing molds, pouring concrete, and overseeing finishing. Their success is proof that leadership and skill transcend gender. As India’s bullet train project races ahead, these women are not only building physical barriers but dismantling social ones—paving the way for a more inclusive and progressive future in infrastructure.
Summary:
An all-women L&T factory in Vadodara is producing noise barriers for India’s first bullet train, symbolizing both engineering excellence and gender empowerment. Leading operations, these women ensure quality, sustainability, and scale, breaking barriers in a male-dominated field while redefining infrastructure leadership in India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project.