Pune MSMEs Face Skilled Labour Shortage, CEOs Call For Unified Recruitment Platform

Pune, May 30 (KNN) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the manufacturing hubs of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad are grappling with workforce issues in hiring and retaining skilled technical labour, according to company leaders.

At a roundtable event titled "CEO Priorities in the Current Fiscal" organised by CAMS Consulting, heads of companies highlighted the challenges in availability and employability of graduates from technical schools and diploma holders.

There were calls for establishing a common platform to aid recruitment and training of entry-level employees.

Anantha Padmanabhan, former regional cluster president at Alfa Laval, stated "Automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence could potentially address some of the key issues faced like manpower shortages, quality control, productivity enhancement, product quality and statutory compliance."

The importance of after-sales service and overall customer experience management, even in B2B environments, was unanimously emphasised by CEOs present. A mindset change towards prioritising these aspects is needed in the MSME sector, according to statements from the event.

With MSMEs accounting for over a third of India's gross domestic product as per industry reports, the twin industrial townships are recognised nationwide as leading hubs for manufacturing, automotive production and IT services. A majority of the ancillary units here comprises of MSMEs.

(KNN Bureau)