Jobs
Apple’s success in India shows manufacturing as key to employment: Ashish Dhawan
Mumbai: The Convergence Foundation (TCF) founder-CEO Ashish Dhawan emphasised India’s success in electronics manufacturing as a clear sign of the country’s potential to boost job creation. Dhawan highlighted Apple’s rapid expansion in India, with its 29th factory being established in the country in just two to three years.
“Many doubted India’s capability in manufacturing, questioning our productivity. But Apple’s success shows we can make it happen. This should instill confidence in India’s capacity for large-scale electronics production,” Dhawan stated.
He urged stakeholders to view this success as a step toward addressing India’s labour-intensive exports gap, stressing the country’s demographic advantages and lower labour costs compared to China. However, he cautioned that significant reforms are still needed, particularly around reducing regulatory hurdles, improving ease of doing business, and investing in infrastructure.
Dhawan stressed the importance of tying manufacturing growth to job creation. In a conversation with Foundation for Economic Development (FED) founder-director Rahul Ahluwalia, he pointed out that while sectors like automobile manufacturing have become more capital-intensive, industries like electronics assembly and apparel can create more jobs, which is critical for India today.
“The government’s role in enhancing competitiveness has been vital,” Dhawan said, crediting both central and state governments for their efforts to improve labour and land policies. “Business leaders are calling for competitiveness, and the government is responding.”
Dhawan also urged India to set its sights on matching the success of East Asian economies like South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. He cited Uttar Pradesh as an example, pointing out the stark difference in exports between the state and Vietnam, despite UP’s much larger population. Dhawan called for a strategic push to capture the world market in labour-intensive sectors, comparing India’s performance with East Asian benchmarks.
Dhawan further advocated for India to become the world’s skills hub. He pointed out that India already leads in global remittances, receiving $120 billion annually, and projected this could grow to $300 billion if India strategically sends more skilled workers abroad.
He also called for government-to-government arrangements to facilitate temporary work visas in OECD countries, where 50 million jobs are expected to open up over the next two decades. India, Dhawan argued, is well-positioned to supply skilled labour in sectors like healthcare, domestic services, and more.
Jobs
India to hold its first ‘workplace happiness’ awards in Mumbai
A new initiative wants to make employee wellbeing a boardroom priority, not an afterthought
MUMBAI: India’s corporate world has a new trophy to chase, and this one is not for profits or market share. Happiest Places to Work has announced the country’s first awards dedicated entirely to workplace happiness, with the inaugural ceremony set to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai towards the end of July.
The timing is deliberate. As employee experience increasingly shapes business outcomes, the awards aim to shift the conversation from perks and policies to something harder to fake: how people actually feel at work. Entries are open to organisations across sectors and sizes, and the evaluation process is designed to cut through corporate spin, combining a structured Happiness Dialogue, a culture audit and a final jury review to produce measurable insights into employee experience.
The awards will be chaired by Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Group, and judged by a heavyweight jury that reads like a who’s who of Indian business and human resources. It includes Achal Khanna, chief executive of SHRM for the Asia-Pacific and MENA regions, Harit Nagpal, managing director and chief executive of Tata Play, Pavitra Singh, chief human resources officer at PepsiCo India and South Asia, and Sunita Cherian, former chief culture officer at Wipro, among others.
“Workplace happiness is becoming central to how organisations grow and perform,” said Goenka. “Platforms like these help bring that conversation to the forefront.”
Raj Nayak, founder of Happiest Places to Work, was more direct. “Organisations often overlook the everyday employee experience,” he said. “These awards recognise companies that get it right consistently, where how people feel at work truly matters.”
India’s corner offices have long measured success in revenue, headcount and market capitalisation. If this initiative takes hold, employee happiness may finally earn a place on that list.
The question now is whether the companies that need it most will bother to enter.
