India, Jan 30: The country’s manufacturing sector is undergoing a transformative shift, aiming to become a global hub for production and innovation. According to the latest report by Great Place To Work India, organizations that embrace people-first workplace cultures consistently outperform others in trust, engagement, and employee experience. With manufacturing contributing nearly 16% of India’s GDP and employing over 27 million people, the study highlights that workforce wellbeing and purpose-driven workplaces are emerging as critical differentiators for organizational success. Companies prioritizing employee wellbeing, trust, and psychological safety see measurable gains in talent attraction and retention.
“India’s manufacturing sector ranks among the top three industries on employee feedback, reflecting strong shopfloor sentiment. Yet, only 12% achieve the Best Workplace recognition. One in five employees experiences medium to high burnout, underscoring ongoing workforce pressures. By embedding wellbeing, purpose, and psychological safety into every step of the employee journey, organizations can achieve up to 1.6 times stronger retention outcomes,”
Balbir Singh, CEO, Great Place To Work India.
Key Findings from the Report:
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Trust & Employee Experience: Best Workplaces show an 8% higher Trust Index™ and 7% stronger overall employee sentiment than peers.
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Gender Diversity: Manufacturing remains male-dominated, with women representing just 11% of the workforce versus 27% across other sectors.
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Employee Wellbeing: While 93% of employees positively perceive physical wellness, only 85% or less report financial stability, flexibility, emotional wellbeing, and work-life balance. One in five employees still faces medium or high burnout.
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Psychological Safety: Overall positive perception is 88%, dropping to 80% among Gen Z and staff-level employees, creating an 8% gap across groups.
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Involvement in Decision-Making: 80% of men versus 76% of women feel involved in decisions affecting their work.
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Retention Impact: Employees involved in decisions are 1.5x more likely to stay; those supported in wellbeing, work-life balance, and psychological safety are 1.7–1.8x more likely to remain, highlighting that retention is driven by feeling safe, supported, and heard.
As the sector accelerates AI and digital transformation, the report provides practical solutions for building people-first, future-ready workplaces. It emphasizes embedding psychological safety, wellbeing, and purpose across the talent lifecycle from attraction and onboarding to performance management, belonging, and long-term retention.
India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2026
Great Place To Work India recognized organizations that exemplify high-trust, people-first cultures. These companies demonstrate how employee-centric practices translate into measurable benefits for both employees and business performance. This year, the top 50 large organizations (1,000+ employees) and top 30 mid-size organizations (100–999 employees) were honored.
25 Large Companies (Alphabetical):
Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Limited, Anmol Industries Limited, Century Plyboards (I) Limited, Coal India Limited, Coats India, Eastman Auto & Power Limited, EPL Limited, Forbes Marshall Private Limited, Garware Technical Fibres Limited, Gokaldas Exports Limited, Haleon (GSK APL, GSK CPL), Joyson Anand Abhishek Safety System, JSW Energy Limited, Kalyani Technoforge Limited, Kohler India Corporation Private Limited, Lucas TVS Limited, National Engineering Industries Limited (NBC Bearings – A CK Birla Group Company), Navitasys India Private Limited, PGP Glass Private Limited, Schneider Electric India Private Limited, Tirupati Group (Tirupati Medicare Limited), United Spirits Limited (Diageo India), Uno Minda Group, Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Jharsuguda, Welspun Living Limited.
As India’s manufacturing sector strengthens its economic role, integrating human-centric strategies with technological adoption is becoming a key differentiator. Organizations that focus on trust, leadership, and employee wellbeing are building resilient, future-ready workforces capable of driving innovation and sustaining performance, setting the stage for the next phase of Indian manufacturing.