Career in manufacturing lures Indians: survey

India has the maximum number of people across developing economies who prefer manufacturing as a career option despite the country being the least ranked when it comes to government support to the sector, a global survey has said.

A new report ‘Engaging the Modern Manufacturing Workforce’ commissioned by Kronos and incorporated and conducted by IDC said India ranked the least amongst developing economies at 60 per cent when it came to government support, like policies and reforms, for the manufacturing industry.

However, when asked how does the future of manufacturing look as a career option for the next generation, 92 per cent Indians surveyed said it is a practical career option. Australia and China were ranked lowest with 74 per cent and 70 per cent respectively in considering manufacturing as a career option.

The study included new primary research with 550 workforce management stakeholders across 11 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and the US. The companies included in the research were from the manufacturing industry and included a diverse collection of both discrete and process manufacturers. Brazil was ranked at top in considering the need for modern infrastructure with 88 per cent, followed by India with 82 per cent, the US with 66 per cent on agreeing about modern infrastructure’s importance. The survey also found that most Indian manufacturers think that absence from work can also impact productivity.

“When asked if absenteeism was not a problem, India at 36 per cent had the highest number of respondents that disagreed, suggesting absenteeism to be a larger issue than other countries,” it said. About the factors that affect the success of manufacturers, 74.7 per cent (the highest) of all respondents agreed that a high level of labour productivity is very or extremely important for achieving manufacturing success. Emerging nations rated the need for modern infrastructure higher than mature economies and labour productivity topped as the main driver of success among all countries.Labour productivity was rated as the main driver of success among all countries, including India, as factors that affect success of manufacturers. While Brazil, Mexico, and Spain scored the highest regarding labour productivity with 82 per cent, India scored relatively low with 68 per cent.