MUMBAI (India CSR): Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), in collaboration with Atypical Advantage, on Wednesday unveiled “Work That Includes”, billed as India’s first dedicated employability toolkit aimed at boosting employment of persons with disabilities (PwD) in the manufacturing sector.
The launch took place at the EmployAbility in Manufacturing Summit 2025 held in Mumbai, which brought together industry leaders, policymakers and inclusion advocates to advance disability inclusion across factories and production units.
According to industry estimates, the manufacturing sector employs over 30 million workers, but PwD participation in the private sector remains low at 36 per cent, compared to nearly 60 per cent for the non-disabled workforce. The summit sought to shift the dialogue from “why inclusion” to “how inclusion can be implemented effectively.”
The toolkit, developed by Integrative Solutions, provides step-by-step guidance on job mapping, accessibility audits, workflow redesigns, Indian Sign Language (ISL) glossaries and case studies drawn from sectors including FMCG, automobiles and semiconductors. The guide was unveiled in the presence of IAS officer and disability rights advocate Ira Singhal.
“India’s official disability figure of 2.21 per cent understates the extent of underrepresentation,” said Vineet Saraiwala, Founder, Atypical Advantage. “Manufacturing has been among the slowest sectors to adopt disability inclusion due to legacy processes and assumptions around productivity and safety.”
Saraiwala said companies like GCPL have shown that inclusive hiring in manufacturing is both practical and value-adding. “With the right systems and mindset, inclusion is not only possible but deeply rewarding for companies, communities and the country,” he added.
Over the past five years, Atypical Advantage has facilitated PwD hiring across GCPL, Nestlé, Micron, Tata Motors, Arabil Solutions and NIVEA, reporting gains in productivity, retention and shop-floor discipline.
GCPL’s manufacturing units in Malanpur (Madhya Pradesh) and Chengalpattu (Tamil Nadu) have emerged as national examples of accessible and inclusive workplaces. The company has implemented job mapping, infrastructure improvements, ISL resources and technical training to integrate PwD into factory operations.
“At a time when disability employment remains far below potential, GCPL is committed to driving meaningful change,” said Vaibhav Ram, Global Head – HR, GCPL. “We have already employed more than 20 persons with disabilities across our factories and plan to expand into more roles and locations.”
Ram said the new toolkit provides companies with a strong starting point. “Productivity and empathy can co-exist. Accessible workplaces help build stronger, more resilient teams,” he said, adding that GCPL is embedding disability awareness and ISL modules into its Learning Management System to strengthen long-term capability building.
GCPL and Atypical Advantage said the toolkit reinforces that inclusive manufacturing is not an act of CSR but a strategic business advantage. As India expands its manufacturing footprint, disability inclusion represents both a social responsibility and a significant economic opportunity.
(India CSR)
