Sustainability Challenges for Workforce of Sme's in India

Abstract

A sustainable workforce is one where the work environment is caring and supports employee wellbeing. Employees are not seen as primarily resources that can be deployed to serve employers’ economic ends. Their skills, talent, and energies are not overused or overly depleted. They are not faced with excessive workload nor with a relentless pace of work for weeks or years on end. During times of crisis (e.g., natural disasters, sickness), employees are given time to recover or seek the extra resources they need to be able to perform in the future.The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has emerged as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy over the last five decades. It contributes significantly in the economic and social development of the country. MSMEs are complementary to large industries as ancillary units and this sector contributes significantly in the inclusive industrial development of the country. There are close to 51 million MSME units in the country that employ about 117 million people across various sectors, constituting 40% of the workforce. The MSME share to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about 37% and they also contribute to 43% of exports based on the data maintained by Ministry of Commerce.