New Delhi, April 24 -- At first glance, Chandni doesn't seem like someone who would operate a massive CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine-the hulking, steel-clad system that roars to life and slices through metal with micrometre precision.

Four and a half feet tall, dressed in navy blue overalls and sneakers, Chandni appears almost dwarfed by the towering equipment and its blinking interface.

She moves confidently across the polished concrete floor of Wipro's newest factory on Jaipur's outskirts, working from a platform built just for her, elevated to meet her height.

"Earlier, some would just say she's too short for this," says Ranganath M.S., the Jaipur plant head of Wipro Hydraulics, watching her quietly from across the floor. ...