India, July 2 -- A new generation of trade agreements is unlocking preferential access for India's labour-intensive exports to the UK, the EU and Australia. The race is no longer about market access; it is about scaling manufacturing capacity fast enough to seize it. India is competing with Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia for investment that creates formal jobs at scale and anchors its place in global supply chains. The Government has set a target of lifting manufacturing to 25% of GDP, backed by structural reforms, FDI liberalisation and production-linked incentives.

A gap, however, is visible across every labour-intensive sector India is counting on. Women are just 28% of regular wage workers in apparel and garments, against 70% in C...