Can India leverage its large number of graduates and advantages of offering an environment to develop cost-effective technologies in the emerging new business order?

Multinationals such as GE, Alstom in manufacturing, Pfizer and Merck in pharma or Microsoft in IT have drawn heavily on local human resources to drive important initiatives. Will Indian companies be able to tap emerging global opportunities? How to address gender diversity issues. These and several other issues confronting people-driven enterprises in the new global business order will be the focus of a 42nd IFTDO world conference & Exhibition on Human Resources to be held in New Delhi during April 23-26

At present in developing countries, especially India, women form a miniscule of the workforce in manufacturing and just a growing number in new economy companies.

“Women at various levels in corporates is still very low,” said B.P. Rao, Chairman and President of the International Federation of Training & Development Organisations (IFTDO).

In the backdrop of huge number of manpower being churned out in the country and at the same time a large number not possessing the right skills for employment, the global economic slowdown and new ways of doing business, the meet assumes significance said Rao, who is Chairman and Managing Director of BHEL.

Developing countries like India have to become competitive on three fronts — technology, price and delivery. There are hardly any margins left. Also technology is becoming available to everybody. Therefore, the major differentiator is the competent HR professional in the organisation, he told Business Line in an interaction.

There will be several case studies presented by corporates and public sector undertakings on how the HR issues are being finetuned to meet emerging business challenges. President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the event where about 1,200 delegates from all over the world will participate.

>somasekhar.m@thehindu.co.in

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