Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL), in collaboration with Atypical Advantage, hosted the EmployAbility in Manufacturing Summit 2025 in Mumbai. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers and advocates to discuss ways to improve disability inclusion within India’s manufacturing sector.
Although the manufacturing sector employs over 30 million people, the participation rate of persons with disabilities (PwD) in the private sector stands at about 36%, compared to roughly 60% for those without disabilities. The summit focused on shifting the conversation from the need for inclusion to practical steps organisations can take to implement it within factory environments.
One of the key announcements at the summit was the launch of ‘Work That Includes’, described as India’s first employability toolkit designed specifically for manufacturing. The toolkit was unveiled in the presence of IAS officer Ira Singhal and other industry experts. It provides step-by-step guidance for implementation, including job mapping, accessibility checklists, workflow redesigns, Indian Sign Language (ISL) glossaries and case studies. Researched and authored by Integrative Solutions, the resource incorporates insights from sectors such as FMCG, automobiles and semiconductors and offers a structured pathway for integrating PwD into factory operations.
Vineet Saraiwala, Founder of Atypical Advantage, said, “As per the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) report, the 2.21% official disability figure understates the true scale of underrepresentation in India. And while inclusion drives performance, manufacturing has been one of the slowest sectors to adopt disability inclusion due to legacy processes and outdated assumptions around productivity and safety.”
He added, “Corporates like GCPL demonstrate that inclusive hiring in manufacturing is both practical and value-adding when approached intentionally. GCPL invested heavily in readiness to ensure that persons with disabilities hiring succeeded both operationally and culturally. With the right systems and mindset, inclusion is not only possible — it is deeply rewarding for companies, communities, and the country.”
Atypical Advantage has supported PwD hiring across GCPL, Nestlé, Micron, Tata Motors, Arabil Solutions and NIVEA over the past five years, recording improvements in productivity, retention and shop-floor discipline. GCPL’s factories in Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh and Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, have been cited as examples of accessible and inclusive environments, with measures including job mapping, infrastructure upgrades, technical training and ISL support.
Vaibhav Ram, Global Head – HR, Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), said, “At a time when disability employment in India remains far below its potential, GCPL is committed to driving meaningful change. We have already employed more than 20 persons with disabilities across our factories, with plans to expand into additional roles and locations. It is important to recognise that disability inclusion is not just a choice but a necessity. The ‘Work That Includes’ Toolkit, launched in partnership with Atypical Advantage and Integrative Solutions, underscores this reality by giving companies a strong starting point for their inclusion journey. It captures learnings from organisations like ours and equips industry players with the guidance needed to take the next step.”
Commenting further on GCPL’s PwD inclusion journey, Vaibhav Ram said, “Our factories demonstrate that productivity and empathy can co-exist — and that accessible workplaces build stronger, more resilient teams. We are embedding disability inclusion into long-term capability systems by integrating disability-awareness and Indian Sign Language (ISL) modules into our Learning Management System (LMS), making inclusive communication and leadership an integral part of our core training pathways.”
The ‘Work That Includes’ toolkit reiterates that inclusive manufacturing is not framed as CSR but as a strategic shift with workplace and economic advantages. As India’s manufacturing sector grows, disability inclusion is positioned as both a social responsibility and an economic opportunity for the industry.
