Driving the Future of Mobility: How SIAM is building a shared vision for India's workforce

As India’s mobility sector accelerates toward an era of electrification, automation, and sustainability, one truth has become undeniable: technology alone cannot drive the future, people will. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has been instrumental in articulating this idea, uniting the industry under a shared purpose of building a workforce that is as future-ready as the vehicles it creates.

At the Automotive HR & Skilling Conclave 2025, held in Chennai on 31st October under the theme “Accelerating Ahead: HR and Skilling for the Future of Mobility,” this message came alive. Policymakers, CHROs, HR tech experts, and educators convened to explore how the industry can strengthen its talent base, foster leadership for the future, and create workplaces that match the scale of its technological ambition.

More than an event, the Conclave reflected SIAM’s long-standing commitment to shaping the future of work in mobility, one defined by a clear vision and collective strength. The discussions highlighted how foresight and collaboration are becoming the twin forces propelling India’s automotive ecosystem into its next chapter.

Inspiring Vision: Charting the Road Ahead

Vision has always been the fuel for innovation. For SIAM, it is also the compass that ensures growth remains human-centred. India’s auto industry, contributing about 7% to national GDP and employing more than 30 million people, is standing at the intersection of technological disruption and social change.

As C.V. Ganesan, Hon’ble Minister for Labour Welfare & Skill Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, reminded participants, “HR leaders of auto companies have greater responsibilities, as they need to take care of thousands of skilled professionals working for their organizations.”

That responsibility is expanding as the sector reimagines itself for a digital, green economy. According to the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), emerging technologies such as EVs, connected systems, and Industry 4.0 tools will redefine job roles across manufacturing, logistics, and service networks by 2026.

This urgency was echoed by K. Veera Raghava Rao, IAS, Secretary, Labour Welfare & Skill Development, who said, “There is a need to ensure that we have appropriately skilled people to support the ever-evolving technological landscape and to ensure that the investments made by companies are sustained.”

For SIAM, vision is not confined to anticipating change, it is about preparing people to thrive within it. At the Conclave, Dr. Natwar Kadel, Chairman of SIAM’s Human Capital Group and Vertical Head–People Strategy, Hyundai Motor India, put this in perspective:

“Auto is one of the largest contributors to GDP and also to employment in the country. HR leaders of the Auto Industry have a responsibility to ensure we continue to unlearn, relearn, and innovate ourselves in a sustained manner.”

This continuous cycle of learning and renewal forms the backbone of an inspiring vision, one that aligns technology with human adaptability. In an age where 39% of workers’ skills globally are expected to be disrupted within five years, as per the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, SIAM’s forward-looking approach helps the sector anticipate talent needs rather than react to them.

An inspiring vision does more than prepare organisations for change; it helps employees see their role in shaping that change. In an industry increasingly powered by Gen Z, this sense of contribution and belonging is vital given these mark the kind of workplaces Gen Z eagerly wish to be a part of. As Madhuri Mehta, CHRO of Hero MotoCorp and Co-Chair of SIAM’s Human Capital Group, noted, “Auto Industry needs to evolve itself to meet the expectations of the Gen-Z as they integrate into this Industry.”

Collaborative Excellence: Building Ecosystems That Learn and Lead

If vision provides the direction, collaboration provides the drive. The Conclave’s sessions such as, “Driving Industry Readiness: Aligning Talent, Skills & Business Goals” and “Harmony as a Business Driver: Evolving IR Practices,” reflected SIAM’s belief that progress in mobility is not a solo pursuit but a shared journey.

Prabhu Nagaraj, Co-Chairman of SIAM’s Skilling Group and Operating Head, Corporate Affairs, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, captured this spirit when he said, “Investing in skills today is the key to building a strong industry tomorrow. Let us continue to collaborate, innovate, and invest in our people, because the future of mobility will be built not just in factories, but in classrooms, workshops, and training centres across India.”

This is collaboration in its truest sense, an alliance between industry, government, academia, and civil society to create the conditions for inclusive growth. In this, SIAM acts as both convener and catalyst.

The collaborative approach is already visible in India’s broader technology landscape. The NASSCOM Strategic Review 2025 reveals that 82% of CXOs plan to increase investments in AI and automation, but fewer than half expect to expand hiring. The only sustainable response to this imbalance is ecosystem-level skill development, exactly what SIAM’s collaborative initiatives enable.

At a time when India’s employability rate in emerging sectors like robotics, AI, and clean tech stands at only 46%, according to a World Bank-linked analysis, bridging the talent gap cannot be left to individual companies alone. It requires the kind of multi-stakeholder coordination that SIAM facilitates, connecting policymakers who create frameworks, educators who build curricula, and employers who implement them.

The Conclave demonstrated that collaboration isn’t just a method; it’s a mindset. It transforms competition into co-creation. As participants from leading manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, TVS Motor Company, Ashok Leyland, India Yamaha, Renault India, JSW MG Motor India Royal Enfield, among others discussed, the auto industry’s greatest strength lies in its ability to share best practices and build collective resilience.

A Shared Vision for Iconic Workplaces

The SIAM Automotive HR & Skilling Conclave 2025 reaffirmed that India’s mobility revolution will be powered as much by foresight and partnership as by technology. SIAM’s leadership in cultivating these twin strengths, inspiring vision and collaborative excellence, offers a blueprint for how industries can align growth with inclusivity, and innovation with humanity.

For organisations across sectors seeking to build such environments, Mint, in partnership with Deloitte India, has introduced the Mint India’s Iconic Workplaces Certification, a benchmark designed to help companies measure, improve, and celebrate cultures that are thriving, inclusive, and future-ready.

Because in the end, the road to the future of mobility will not be paved by machines alone, it will be powered by people.