Nidhi Prasad, Head Talent Partnering & Labour Compliance, Ather Energy, speaks to the India Employer Forum about building shopfloor engagement in the electric-vehicle industry, establishing culture at a greenfield plant, and aligning engineering and manufacturing through lived experience and transparent communication.
Moderated by: Dhiren Makhija, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services Ltd.
When asked about recruitment and training people for a greenfield plant during the pandemic, Nidhi Prasad said, “In 2019–20, we couldn’t rely on fully-practical candidates. We hired for curiosity, campus hires and ITI graduates who showed problem-solving hunger and created dojos for hands-on simulation training. Senior plant coaches trained new hires in the local language; that combination of empathy, practical training, and peer coaching built confidence before line entry”.
On practices establishing a culture of ownership and accountability, she said “Culture isn’t taught, it’s shown. We launched associate-led circles (culture, safety, kaizen) with small budgets so teams could solve issues early. Small wins and demonstrable examples (a quality associate spotting a costly pattern, for example) reinforced the behaviour. We also used visible, emotional touchpoints, a graduation ceremony with parents to build pride”.
Talking about mapping career progression on the shopfloor Nidhi said, “We use station-level skill mapping and clear “line-ready” certifications: defined hours, assessments, and promotion criteria. Zones are the unit of accountability; zone leaders are mentored and held responsible for SQDC (safety, quality, delivery, cost). Rewards are largely collective team/zone recognition drives collaboration, while individual recognition is reserved for extraordinary acts”.
“Make the shopfloor the default place for collaboration. Engineers work with manufacturing during launches; design choices incorporate ergonomics and lived manufacturing inputs. Continuous, visual interactions, engineers in the shopfloor, associate feedback loops, build mutual respect”.
Watch the full Samvaad: In Conversation with Nidhi Prasad, Head Talent Partnering & Labour Compliance, Ather Energy
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About Nidhi Prasad
Nidhi Prasad is an HR leader with more than two decades of experience designing people strategy at the intersection of manufacturing, supply chain and services. As Head Talent Partnering & Labour Compliance at Ather Energy, she has led the HR design and culture build for greenfield factories, operationalised labour compliance across sites, and championed learning-from-the-shopfloor initiatives that scale performance and ownership. Her prior roles include HR leadership at GE Healthcare, Tata Power Solar, Tata BP Solar and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Nidhi is known for pragmatic HR business partnering, strong industrial relations capability, and programs that translate company values into everyday factory behaviour. She writes and speaks about factory culture and the human side of manufacturing. When she’s not at work you’ll find her with a book, in her garden, or volunteering to give back to the community. You can connect with Nidhi here.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article, including any accompanying data, are the sole responsibility of the author and should not be construed as reflecting the official policy or position of India Employer Forum.
