ABB India Finds Automation Boosts Low-Skilled Hiring and Workforce Growth

ABB India has found that automation actually helps increase its workforce and hire lower-skilled workers instead of causing job losses. Sanjeev Sharma, CEO and managing director of the engineering firm, shared these findings in an interview, noting the company's total employment grew 57% from about 7,000 workers in 2021 to more than 11,000 in 2026.

Expansion and Investments

To fuel organic expansion, the company has committed to invest $75 million, which is around 708 crore rupees, across 2026 and 2027. T. K. Sridhar, managing director-designate who takes over in January 2027, stated that $22 million will go to the Nashik electrification plant, $21 million to the Peenya motion plant in Bengaluru, and $14 million to Nelamangala plants. Another $12 million will fund an electrification research and development lab and office in Hyderabad, while $6 million is marked for the Vadodara motion plant.

Plant Operations and Markets

At the Nelamangala switchgear factory in Bengaluru, guided screens and smart tools with torque sensors let young operators with fewer skills quickly learn complex jobs and maintain quality. Meanwhile, company revenue nearly doubled to about $1.4 billion in 2025 from $730 million in 2021, with 88% of business coming from India and 12% from exports. The firm is also expanding its focus to Tier-II and Tier-III cities and building cluster offices to reach the country's hinterlands.

Context

ABB India operates as part of the global technology group ABB, focusing on electrification, robotics, automation, and motion technologies. Manufacturing firms in India are increasingly upgrading their factories with modern digital tools to keep up with rising domestic demand. Smaller cities across the country are emerging as key industrial hubs driven by new entrepreneurs.