Recognizing the potential of millions employed as contract workers in Indian manufacturing, construction, retail, e-commerce, and automotive industries, Kronos Incorporated has announced an increased commitment to its India operation. Having identified the opportunity for technology to play a vital role in addressing India’s contracted workforce at par with blue collar employees, Kronos will stand out as a leader in India, approaching this issue that can directly impact the success of initiatives such as ‘Make in India’.
Aron Ain, Chief executive officer, Kronos, said, “The ‘Make in India’ campaign is going to unleash the potential of the largest working age population any country has, and Kronos will enable companies to harness this potential and stay competitive against global giants. We are scaling our operations in India and localizing our product to make it more relevant to this diverse country. We are committed to seeing our customers succeed with Kronos while improving the lives of millions of blue collar and contract workers in India.”
Kronos has strengthened its foothold in India and aims to grow the market and improve profitability of customers by engaging 1 million organized sector employees; both blue collar and contract workers, by 2020. In view of such targets, Kronos will increase R&D headcount in India by more than 25 percent to more than 1,000 employees. Currently, Kronos employs 700 people in India, which is the company’s largest employee base outside the U.S.
In an effort to attract customers in North and West India, Kronos is introducing the Hindi language in Kronos InTouch time clocks sold in India. Customers in these markets have shown a keen interest in a local language version to better engage with their blue collar and contract workforce. Indian businesses will be able to leverage a globally proven product and create a transparent and agile workforce to stay competitive.
James Thomas, country manager, India, Kronos, said, “We are going to be the leader in addressing contracted workforces along with our customers. Kronos has already experienced steady growth in India and is firmly committed to continuing expansion of our operations. We have a strong local team backed by a global network of Kronos resources; a growing customer base of more than 100 customers in India; and a proven workforce management solution that helps organizations control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Our opportunity for growth in India has never been greater, particularly in the Kronos Cloud.”
A live lab in Noida will enable customers and prospects to experience Kronos products. The center is being set up at a cost of $150,000, the first outside the U.S. and will be launched in the second half of 2016. This center will also drive engagement between customers and engineering teams enabling Kronos to tailor offerings in line with market expectations in the region.
Kronos solutions are enabling organizations such as FirstSource Solutions, Mahindra, SAB Miller, and Ultratech to manage their on-roll and contract employees. Kronos now has customers across the country, in industries such as manufacturing, retail, hospitality, services, and distribution.