Tata to create 5 lakh direct manufacturing jobs in 5 yrs: N Chandrasekaran

Tata Group will create 5 lakh direct manufacturing jobs over the next five years in sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, and related industries, Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced, at a symposium organised by the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM). He emphasised the crucial role of manufacturing in India’s goal of becoming a developed nation.

“Just between our investments in semiconductors, our investment in precision manufacturing, assembly, electric vehicles, batteries, and related industries. I think we will create 5 lakh jobs in the next 5 years—manufacturing jobs. I have not got the full details but, I've done the basic maths working with my colleagues. These jobs are our (Tata Group) jobs”, Chandrasekaran says at the symposium organised by the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM).

The symposium featured key addresses from TVS Motor Company Chairman Emeritus Venu Srinivasan and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Srinivasan emphasised the need for India to develop its "unique Indian way of progress" to become a global leader in high-quality services and products. He cautioned that simply emulating the paths of countries like Germany, the US, Japan, Korea, and China would leave India trailing behind.

"If we follow the established routes taken by other nations, we will always lag," he asserted.

Chandrasekaran emphasised that India cannot achieve its goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ without focusing on manufacturing job creation, especially as around one million people enter the workforce each month.

“Manufacturing is a big opportunity, and we cannot achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat if we cannot create manufacturing jobs. As we all know 10,00,000 people are coming to the workforce every month. We need to create 10,00,00,000 jobs,” Chandra says. “And the job in something like semiconductors, if you create one direct job, it creates 8 to 10 indirect jobs. So, it's a multiplier. Manufacturing jobs are a big multiplier, 8 to 10 times. And I know the momentum is there,” he adds.

He called for a collaborative effort involving 500 to 1,000 small and medium-sized companies to build a thriving ecosystem centred on hiring, training, and meeting customer quality expectations.

He also highlighted the need for a movement to foster a “culture of quality” by integrating people, processes, and ecosystems. With the Modi government's support, he believes India can become the world’s Human Resource capital and a significant player in global manufacturing by prioritising product quality and customer experience.

India's manufacturing sector saw a 7.4% increase in employment, adding 1.3 million new jobs in FY23. The sector's gross value adds (GVA) rose by 7.3% to ₹21.97 trillion, while total industrial output surged by 21.5% to ₹144.86 trillion. Over the last decade, manufacturing achieved an average annual growth rate of 5.2%, contributing 14.3% to GVA and 35.2% to output in FY23. It accounts for about 50% of inter-industry consumption and supplies nearly 50% of inputs used in agriculture, industry, and services. Maharashtra led GVA contributions, followed by Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, which together made up 54.5% of total manufacturing GVA.