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Aerospace & Defense

The Indian aviation industry is among the fastest growing in the world with traffic increasing by over 17% last year. Aviation is a sunrise sector in India and has the potential to generate a large number of design, production and management jobs.
The Indian defense industry is the third largest importer of defense hardware in the world with US$ 100 billion worth of defense aircraft expected to be acquired and inducted in the next 10 years. The industry is poised for exponential growth in the coming years with MNCs and Indian organizations setting up Greenfield operations and also expanding their existing capacities. Huge investments are expected in areas of manufacturing, design, sourcing & supply chain and engineering services.

At Apay, we have been addressing mandates in Captive Engineering Centers (Design, Analysis, Simulation, software development) Manufacturing operations, Sourcing & Supply Chain, Sales & Business Development, MRO, Human Resources, Finance and Legal. Our specialized team, with a strong background in aerospace and defense-related sectors, has the required experience as well as network to assist clients in getting the right candidates.

The aviation industry is a highly networked industry where recruitments are done more through contacts, advertisements, and references. Organisations are in need of science, technology, and engineering talent to continue to support future growth. It employs rare and specialized skill sets, with niche requirements. Attracting and retaining critical talent is increasingly viewed as a top strategic issue by C-suite executives, boards of directors, and senior human resources executives.

Automobiles & Auto Components

The automobile industry in India is one of the largest as well as fastest growing automobile industries in the world. In recent years, India has become a major auto hub and emerged as an important global manufacturing base for automobile companies as it provides low-cost production opportunities along with an added advantage of having a well-trained workforce at competitive costs. Numerous global automotive giants are upbeat about their expansion plans in India and are willing to enter into partnerships with domestic companies to produce automobiles.
During 2010-11, the Indian automotive industry registered a total turnover of US$ 73 billion, with exports worth US$ 11 billion. Of this, the turnover by the auto component sector stood at US$ 30 billion, with exports valued at US$ 5 billion. The sector is expected to witness high levels of growth on account of drivers such as low level of vehicle penetration, the growth of the economy, the demographic profile of the country, increasing wages and salaries, and huge investments being made by the government in the infrastructure sector. It is forecasted that the Indian auto component industry has the potential reach a turnover level of US$ 66.4 billion by 2016 and US$ 113 billion by 2020, signifying a fourfold increase over a period of ten years.

The industry’s highly competitive environment translates into a strong demand for senior management who can successfully steer companies through challenging times. The industry requires change management skills as well as an ability to create innovative middle and long-term strategies. However, the availability of skilled manpower is gradually beginning to fall short of the industry’s requirements and this could have an impact on the future growth trends.

At Apay we have been addressing mandates in the areas of Research and Development, manufacturing, construction, operations, information technology, corporate management, human resources, production, body shop, maintenance, mechanical engineering, sales and service, marketing, finance, customer care, design, etc. We understand the industry and its requirements very comprehensively and our team of consultants with a robust background of the industry across the different levels of the value chain ensures that we work on these mandates very efficiently.

Consumer & Services

The Indian Retail Industry is one of the fastest growing sectors – domestically as well as internationally. US-based global management consulting firm AT Kearney in its 10th annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2011 has ranked India as the fourth most lucrative investment destination for retail. The size of India’s retail market is expected to rise from about US$ 500 billion in 2011 to about US$ 2,500 billion in 2026. The sector, basically divided into organized and unorganized segments, has different formats for different purposes and customers. Major organized retail formats include Hypermarkets/ Supermarkets, Departmental Stores, Convenience Stores, Shopping malls, E-retailer, Specialty Stores.
Organised retailing is manpower intensive and is the second largest employer in India. The current scenario indicates that there will be a very high demand for manpower to match the scope of plans of various retailers in the near future. Organised retailing is also seen generating a great deal of indirect employment such as security, electrical and mechanical maintenance, property management services, parking, etc.

The sector is currently facing a talent crunch because of non-availability of the talent required on such a large scale and a lack of training facility for the same. Though India has a vast pool of qualified human resources with the required education and motivation to undertake challenging tasks, there is a greater need for middle and senior level management. Management professionals from industries such as FMCG, telecom, BPO, and hospitality are increasingly being seen as suitable sectors to draw talent from. The sector is facing competency gaps in various key areas like supply chain management, vendor development, and customer relations management.

We help our clients in the identification, assessment, and recruitment of talented professionals with brilliant records. Our in-depth experience across sectors spans all functional areas, from top to middle-level positions. Apay’s experience with tier-1 companies ensures that essential competencies are readily available. Our dynamic database of candidates helps us proactively identify senior and top talent.

Education

India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. The economic growth of the country is leading to a surge in demand for more engineers, management graduates, computer engineers, and many other professionals. Given the huge opportunity in the sector, there is a growing trend of private sector participation. According to a recent FICCI report on the private sector’s participation in the Indian higher education, the country has displayed impressive growth over the last decade to become one of the world’s largest systems of higher education. The number of institutions has grown at a CAGR of 11% while student enrolment has grown at a CAGR of 6%.
Given the Indian government’s radical reforms and massive expansion plans in the education sector, a lot more schools and colleges are going to be opened across the country, including rural areas. According to the ASER (2012) report, over the last six years, private school enrolment in rural India has gone up by 5.5 percentage points.

While there is no official estimate of the number of teachers India will require by 2020, a rough estimate by the IIT’s pegs the country’s need at around 4.2 million lecturers to teach 42 million students at the higher educational level. The country is currently facing an acute shortage of faculty at the higher education level. There exists a huge demand-supply gap, and the sector is currently reeling under a huge talent crisis.

At Apay Consultants we are closely following the sector and are tuned into the challenges as well as the dynamics of operating in this sector. Given the sharp gap in demand-supply ratio, institutes are gradually coming forward and seeking consultants to recruit/retain the best talent.

Electrical, Electronics and Energy

The Indian Electrical Equipment Industry is witnessing a turnaround because of demand from sectors such as power, textiles, and cement. The electrical equipment manufacturing industry provides direct employment to over 3,00,000 persons and indirect employment to over 15,00,000 persons. While exports of electrical equipment stood at US$ 4 billion in 2010-11, the industry expects exports to rise six-fold to touch US$ 25 billion within a decade, according to Indian Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association (IEEMA).
The Indian Electronics Industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in India, driven by growth in key sectors such as IT, consumer electronics and telecom. A study by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has estimated the size of the electronics industry in India to exceed US$ 150 billion by 2015.
The government plans to create an electronics development fund of about Rs 10,000 crore to support R&D, innovation, IPR development, technology transfer of IT and nanoelectronics. Mr. Kapil Sibal, Telecommunications Minister, said that the electronics manufacturing policy aims to create employment opportunities of US$ 28 million by 2020.
India stands on the verge of a renewable energy revolution. UN’s World Economic and Social Survey 2009 report on climate change pointed out that India is the most developed renewable energy market in South Asia with an annual turnover of about US$ 500 million. The country’s renewable energy power generation capacity now stands at 15,789 megawatts following the government’s efforts to boost the sector.

Electronics Manufacturing Services
There is a vast pool of highly qualified and skilled engineers, which has attracted many multinational companies to set up their R&D centers in the country. The talent pool is primarily concentrated in a few metros, hence relocating them to small towns is difficult. High attrition rate due to the small pool of talent available for both manufacturers and machine sellers is another reason for the shortage of skilled hands
Electrical Equipment Industry
For the switchgear and control gear industry, the skill sets available in the country are relatively less expensive making the industry competitive globally. The sector has become technology intensive, thus raising requirements of tech-savvy talent with the ability to increase productivity, using technology
Renewable Energy
The industry is in the growth stage currently faces huge talent challenges. Some companies are partnering with institutes like TERI, others are creating a talent pool by hiring specialists from abroad to train Indian project managers. There are others who partner with foreign institutions to offer students courses on design, installation and commissioning of solar projects.

We help clients with the recruitment as well as the development of talent and people management practices. We have a proven track record in identifying top and middle management candidates for many start-up companies. To meet these sector requirements, Apay has a specialized team of industry experts who focus on the manpower requirements of the electrical equipment, electronics manufacturing and renewable energy sector for India and the Asia Pacific region. We have the required experience as well as network to assist clients in getting the right candidates.

Engineering

The Engineering sector is the largest industrial sector in the country and can be broadly categorized into two segments – heavy engineering and light engineering. The Indian engineering sector continues to grow on account of robust internal consumption, which has encouraged both inbound as well as outbound cross-border Mergers &Acquisitions (M&A). The sector, long dominated by heavy engineering, is highly structured and technology driven.
Engineering exports have seen a robust performance in recent years. In 2010-11, engineering exports reached US$ 60 billion. The next decade in the Indian engineering sector belongs to power and energy, mining, water and sewage treatment and port infrastructure. The planned infrastructure spending for the five-year plan ending in 2012 has been targeted at US$ 500 billion, which is likely to be doubled to US$1 trillion in the following planning period. This planned infrastructure spending is across all core sectors which directly influence the engineering sector.

With a dedicated team of 70 consultants and researchers working across diverse sub sectors such as light and heavy engineering, plastic, metals, fine and heavy chemicals, textiles, Apay Consultants is well positioned to service clients in this sector. Our consultants are domain experts who have spent their initial years in core industry across functions. They understand the ever-changing challenges of talent acquisition in this progressively complex environment. We have helped our clients in this sector recruit over 500 professionals in India and overseas in the past one year.

We help clients with the recruitment as well as the development of talent and people management practices. We have a proven track record in identifying top and middle management candidates for many start-up companies. To meet these sector requirements, Apay has a specialized team of industry experts who focus on the manpower requirements of the electrical equipment, electronics manufacturing and renewable energy sector for India and the Asia Pacific region. We have the required experience as well as network to assist clients in getting the right candidates.

Financial Services

With sound fundamentals and tremendous scope for growth, India has one of the most developed financial markets in the developing world. The sector, majorly divided into banking and non-banking segments, emerged stronger after the financial turmoil due to its strict adherence to conventional systems and effective supervision by the central authority.
The Indian financial services market has huge further potential because of factors like annual savings rates of more than 30 percent, favorable demographic trends and growing demand from India’s 250 million-strong middle class.

The growing influence of the Indian economy is rapidly becoming a global platform for new growth in financial services, creating demand for highly skilled finance professionals. We address talent needs for all middle and senior management roles across all the segments of the sector such as Investment banking, Retail financial services, Insurance, Wealth Management etc.
Financial sector companies require staff to build on knowledge, but they are finding it increasingly tough to train new workers. Retaining talent in an industry with a huge growth potential poses another big challenge.

Our role is not limited to being recruiters for different organizations – we act as consultants/advisors to our clients, helping them address critical talent issues. Besides executive recruiting, we also advise them on succession planning. Our industry expertise, proactive approach, and long-term association with leading companies position us as the recruiter of choice.

FMCG

The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy with a total market size of more than US$ 13.1 billion. The sector is set to treble from US$ 11.6 billion in 2003 to US$ 33.4 billion in 2015. The FMCG sector in India has been experiencing an exceptional pace of growth since last decade on the back of rising consumer income and rapidly changing consumer tastes and preferences.
The market is highly fragmented with almost 50 percent share with the unbranded, unpackaged homemade products. This presents a tremendous opportunity for makers of branded products who can convert these consumers to become loyal users of their products.

The FMCG sector continues to face the war for talent, with the number of people with disposable income growing every year. Indian FMCG professionals in the marketing field are considered the best, with many of the leading organizations worldwide. Sales & marketing professionals from FMCG companies have been poached by companies from sectors such as telecom, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles, and the trend is likely to continue. FMCG professionals are much sought after as they bring with them specific skills which can effectively drive business transformation.

Apay’s clients include well established multinational companies having globally benchmarked talent management practices, as well as domestic players with an interest in developing globally competitive capability and talent management programs. Our wide network of consultants collaborates closely to ensure that we can match our knowledge and expertise to our clients’ business needs.

Infrastructure

The long-term view of the Indian real estate industry is quite positive since its fundamental demand drivers – increasing urbanization, favorable demographics, a growth of the services sector and rising incomes are intact. India’s favorable demographics and strong economic growth make the country an attractive place for property investors, as the demand for property is determined chiefly by business development and demographic trends.
Within a short span of time, the sector has evolved from a highly fragmented and unorganized market into a semi-organized market with a large number of listed companies. According to various sources, the size of the Indian real estate market was estimated at approximately US$ 16 billion in 2006 and is estimated to reach US$ 180 billion by 2020 registering a CAGR of approximately 19%.

The real estate sector, however, is largely unstructured and has a long way to go to adopt the right recruitment policies and procedures needed in a growing and professional organization. The sector is in strong need of candidates having experience in land acquisition (which is mostly localized), construction management, project management etc. Getting the right talent is challenging.

We have a strong network of consultants having a thorough knowledge of the market as well as the potential candidates. We develop strong ties with both of them which helps us understand the requirements from both the sides, thus mapping the right candidates with the right companies.

Media & Entertainment

The emergence of innumerable TV channels and private FM radio operators has made entertainment and information available across the entire Indian landscape.
The Media and Entertainment sector in India, which includes sectors such as television, music, radio, and print, is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 13.2% to reach a size of Rs 1.19 lakh crore by 2015, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In 2010, the Indian industry grew by 11.2 percent, one of the highest growth rates in the world, due to improved economic conditions and rebound in advertising.

Amidst the major challenges faced by the industry are threats from piracy and violation of intellectual property rights, lack of quality content, and lack of cohesive production and distribution infrastructure. In a bid to constantly think of new and innovative ways to keep themselves ahead of their competitors, companies are increasingly focusing on their quality of talent. However, the sector continues to reel under challenges of paucity and mismanagement of talent and lack of standardization across levels with regards to salaries and designations. The demand-supply gap, particularly with regards to “right” creative conteApaynt talent, is another chronic trend.

At Apay we bring out-of-the-box solutions to identify the right blend of skills needed to address these challenges. Over the past five years, we have carried out close to 500 projects for our M&E clients for senior executive and non-executive searches, succession planning, talent mapping, team effectiveness appraisals and organizational redesign consulting. We have the expertise to work across all segments of the industry such as publishing, broadcasting and cable, film and music production, new media and marketing services.

Outsourcing & Offshoring

India is the preferred destination for off-shoring and outsourcing (O&O) services. According to Nasscom, the BPO industry accounted for 34 percent of the worldwide BPO market in 2010, thus becoming the world’s largest destination for BPO services delivery. Lower manpower costs, availability of skilled professionals proficient in English, and enviable software development capabilities have made India a lucrative outsourcing destination for companies in developed markets. The industry generates employment for over 4.5 million people (direct and indirect), with 50 percent of employees below 25 years.
In the last two decades, the Information Technology and Enabling Services (ITES) segment has moved up the value chain and now the services include knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), legal process outsourcing (LPO), games process outsourcing (GPO) and design outsourcing, among others. Based on its huge workforce and an early foray into the global sourcing market, India has emerged as a strong exporter of IT services.

The availability and likely demand for offshore talent are matched inefficiently, with demand outstripping availability in some locations and availability outstripping demand in others. While numbers reflect the availability of a large talent pool, the supply of “employable” talent is far less. Rising wages and high turnover among engineers—the professionals most in demand for IT services—provide evidence that local constraints on the supply of talent already exist.

In this rapidly changing industry dynamics, our role at Apay is not limited to sourcing the right talent and working on the mandates given by the companies. We understand the challenges of hiring, retaining the right talent in the industry, and act as consultants to candidates as well as companies in advising them of the best choices. We understand a candidate’s profile, interests, skills, and match them with the requirements of the company. Mapping of right fit happens two ways – both for the employer as well as the employee. Our endeavor is to not to just help candidates get jobs, but to help them make great careers.

Pharmaceutical, Healthcare & Life-Sc.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is highly dynamic and offers great opportunities for both domestic and foreign companies. The industry is estimated to have generated revenue worth US$ 13.1 billion in FY 2011, according to a new Research and Market’s report, “Indian Pharma Sector Forecast 2014.” India will emerge as a leading global player in the pharmaceutical industry by 2020, securing a place among the top five major global markets, according to Ikon Marketing Consultant (IMC). Also, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) has said it expects the Indian pharmaceutical industry to reach US$ 20 billion by 2015, making it one of the world’s top 10 pharmaceuticals markets.
India has a strong local manufacturing base and domestic players are developing a substantial international presence. Healthcare is also one of the largest service sector industries in India, in terms of revenue and employment. Rising health awareness and increasing government expenditure on healthcare sector are driving growth in the sector. Medical tourism and health insurance are also on a rise, with significant growth in the healthcare sector and the establishment of a large number of hospitals, both public and private. The Indian healthcare industry, estimated at US$ 50 billion, is expected to reach over US$ 75 billion by 2012, and US$ 100 billion by 2015.

While specialized talent is critical for any knowledge industry, it is more so within the pharmaceuticals industry. Companies gain a competitive advantage through primary or applied research and thus the need for specialized talent has become even cuter. The industry being a Research & Development (R&D) driven business, there is a high need for people with both technical as well as practical knowledge and skills. Across all the levels of the industry value chain, there is an intense requirement of talented people to discover, develop, license, manufacture, market and monitor medicines.

Word of Mouth is a critical driver of talent in this industry. We have consultants having a strong network with employees working in different companies across various levels. These employees understand not only their role but also have a keen understanding of the company and the industry as well. They are our best ambassadors, thus making colleague referrals an important source of talent.
Apay focuses on the right-fit model; with a robust evaluation procedure conducted by our specialist consultants, and a strong reference checks procedure to source the best talent.
We also manage complex national and international assignments that need the deployment of resources across different geographies.

Not-For-Profit

Non-Government Organizations (NGO) are non-profit voluntary groups established at the local, national or international level, dealing with social issues. Currently, around 1.5 million NGO’s work in India, with most of them being small and dependent on volunteers. However, the sector is becoming more organized with various multi nationals and Indian business houses embracing the culture of giving.
There are different types of NGO in India – volunteer sector, grass root organizations, civic society, private voluntary organizations, transitional social movement organizations and self-help groups (SSG). The central government’s share of social expenditure is only about 20% of the total expenditure, the rest being the responsibility of the states. However, the sector is recently being given more importance by the centre as well. The proposed allocation of INR 1, 60,887 crore the or social sector in 2011-12 is an increase of 17% on the er current year. It amounts to 36.4% of the total plan allocation.

The NGO sector is not an obvious choice for mid-career professionals who do not have a background in terms of education or personal orientation in this sector. Primary reasons for private sector professionals looking at working in the private sector include an inherent desire to contribute to the society. The sector is gradually becoming a more viable career option, fraught with new challenges and opportunities to make a real difference.

We realized very early that the Not for Profit Sector was emerging as a new force contributing to the social development in India. With our dedicated team of experienced consultants, it is easier for us to understand our clients’ needs, and the challenges associated with them. For instance, because of our long association with the sector, we can appreciate the significance of having effective fund raising personnel. Also, because of our in-depth knowledge of the sector and a strong network across other industries, we can source the right talent from different sectors. We act as true consultants to our clients – suggesting strategies to source, develop, create, retain and motivate the right talent pool.

Process

India’s vibrant chemical and petrochemical industry plays a significant role in the country’s economic development. In terms of volume, the Indian chemical industry is the 6th largest in the world and the 3rd largest in Asia, with size worth US$ 108.4 billion. The industry has registered a growth of around 8 percent in the last few years and is expected to grow at a rate of 12-15 %. India has a strong base for innovation in its network of 200 national laboratories and 1,300 R&D units, which can be leveraged for the shift towards an innovation-based industry. Many companies such as Dow Chemicals, BASF, AkzoNobel have India as a base for manufacturing and supplying to their global markets.
The sector includes chemicals & petrochemicals, cement & aggregates, minerals, mining & metals, oil & gas / petroleum, steel, EPC companies, agribusiness, rubber & tyre, plastics (plastic raw material and plastic processing), packaging, glass, ceramics & marble, water treatment, pulp, paper & printing, paints & lubricants, textile, sugar etc

India has an impressive strength of engineers (India’s graduate engineering pool has more than doubled – over 350,000 engineers were added to the engineering talent pool in 2009). However, according to industry sources, only 40-50% of the graduates are employable, increasing the demand-supply gap.

Our process practice has solid credentials to support clients’ needs with specific industry expertise, as our specialized team of consultants comes from the same background. Knowledge of the subject, as well as the market, gives us access to top management talent. We understand the importance of talent pool mapping, transitioning global talent, and effective training, and act as seasoned consultants to our clients in recommending them the right people as well as the right strategy to adopt in case of an attrition.

Technology

Information Technology (IT) is a pivotal part of the Indian economy and has played a defining role in establishing our economic prowess on the global map. The sector includes software solutions, hardware, IT services, engineering and R&D services and ITES (IT-enabled services). In the ITES segment, India has emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for companies looking to offshore their IT and back-office functions due to cost arbitrage, availability of skilled manpower and a favorable business environment.
Indian IT companies, especially the top firms such as TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, have been competing against top global firms such as IBM, Accenture, and EDS for large mandates. India continues to remain a hub for cost-effective technology operations. Nasscom has maintained its growth projection of 16-18 percent for the sector in this fiscal. The sector is projected to bring in revenues of US$ 68-70 billion during this fiscal. The IT industry in India is continuously generating millions of direct jobs over the years. The industry currently has around 2 million employees.

With major IT firms evolving continuously in a dynamic market to address the complex demands of clients in a highly competitive environment, there is an increasing demand for a talent pool that has the skills to deliver value-added and unique solutions. This will also call on out of the box thinking by companies to ensure that their people are “future ready”.

Given that the industry is highly dependent on the talent pool, effective talent management is critical to the success of a company. Apay’s team of consultants, having a solid background of the industry, bring deep industry and functional expertise as well as insights that help our clients source the best available talent. Our strong network across companies also helps us assess the requirements in advance so that we can work on a mandate even before it comes to us.

Telecom

The Indian telecommunications (Telecom) industry is the fastest growing market in the world. The industry has played a vital role in India’s growth story, and within the services sector, the telecom sector has been the major contributor to India’s growth, accounting for nearly 3.6% of total GDP in FY10. The share of telecommunication services in India’s GDP is expected to increase to 15% by 2015. The fast-track growth in the domestic telecom market has attracted significant investments which are expected to grow with the entry of new players and launch of new services.
The number of mobile phone subscribers in India rose to 893.84 million in December 2011. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the wireless user base grew 1.07% with an addition of 9.47 million subscribers, from 884.37 million in November 2011. With this, the total number of telephone subscribers, including land line holders, touched 926.53 million. The sector will provide employment to around one crore people by 2012, according to a study commissioned by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and done by PwC. The sector will provide about 28 lakh direct jobs and around 70 indirect jobs by 2012, according to the study.
Latest services such as 3G and WiMax would further help stimulate growth rate in the sector. With the ongoing investments into infrastructure deployment, the country is projected to see the high penetration of internet, broadband, and mobile subscribers. Mobile value-added services (VAS) such as text or SMS, menu-based services, downloading of music or ringtones, mobile TV, videos and other e-commerce applications, is poised to grow 20% by 2013, according to an industry report.
The sector includes fixed line telephony, mobile telephony, internet (wireless, broadband, 3G) and telephone equipment.

The high growth potential in the sector makes it a highly sought after sector by professionals. Despite the availability of skilled professionals in the industry, entry of new players disturbs the demand-supply equilibrium, and companies are often seen struggling in recruiting and retaining talent owing to multiple opportunities available in the market.
The market is highly competitive and industry players need senior and middle-level talent to successfully lead companies. The presence of right leaders is crucial to all stakeholders across the value chain – operators, services providers, network operators and equipment providers.

Our team of qualified telecommunications experts, who have a background of having worked in the industry, gives valuable advice to clients and gives the best recruits to companies by virtue of having access to top management talents in the industry. A knowledgeable team also helps us to screen candidates at our end, thereby reducing the recruitment time for companies.

Business Practice