A Well-being Analysis of Training and Safety Performance in Indian Logistics

Employee well-being in Indian logistics is becoming every organisation’s focus for building a healthy, engaged, and productive workforce (Rahman & Tahseen, 2023). Studies also indicate that effective safety training reduces accidents and injuries (Bahn & Barratt-Pugh, 2014). Bayram (2019), suggests that businesses must encourage their employees to become actively involved and participate in occupational health and safety issues to improve safety performance and employee satisfaction. Providing adequate employee training is crucial to enhance their participation and involvement in safety-related decisions.

The previous article covered the key steps used to create DAX measures to analyze employee well-being in the Indian logistics sector such as:

1. Training Coverage Measures
2. Safety Metrics Development
3. Diversity and Inclusion Metrics
4. Complaints Analysis
5. Overall Well-being Score Calculation
6. Performance Categorization

The analysis resulted in an overall score of 20, placing the sector in the “Poor” category, highlighting significant room for improvement in employee well-being practices.

Using different indicators like training employees or lost time injury frequency rate (NBCC India, 2021), the measurement of employee well-being in the organization will help in understanding the relationship between employee well-being and organization performance for designing the strategies to support employees and boost sustainable growth of the companies. This article highlights the essential role of well-being initiatives in creating a sustainable and supportive work environment within the Indian logistics industry. The analysis reveals varying levels of commitment across companies in areas such as safety training, injury management, workforce diversity, and complaint reporting.

Training Coverage in Indian Logistics for Health and Safety

The above figure shows that in 2023, approximately 54.32% of employees received health and safety training; in 2024, this decreased to 52.99%. This decrease can be observed for Aegis Logistics Limited, Allcargo Logistics, Blue Dart Express Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Mahindra Logistics Limited, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited, and VRL Logistics. However, there is an increase in training for TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited, Transport Corporation of India Limited, TCI Express Limited, Sidhu Trade Links Limited, and Delhivery Limited.

This shows that despite a high percentage of employees receiving health and safety training, most of the companies witnessed a reduction in focus on providing training to employees. This also suggests that while training coverage remains substantial, additional factors could be reducing the emphasis of the company on training, possibly signalling a need for more effective training methods or improved safety measures.

Skill Upgradation Trends in Indian Logistics Employees

This graph shows the percentage of employees receiving training in 2023 and 2024. Some companies show a consistent or increasing commitment to training across the years. Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited maintained a 100% training rate in both years, highlighting a continuous effort towards upskilling employees. Sindhu Trade Links Limited shows a dramatic spike in 2024 (208.52%), which might point to a targeted effort in that year to boost employee skills and engagement. This could be part of a strategic shift towards better employee well-being. Companies like Allcargo Logistics Limited and Blue Dart Express Limited show relatively stable or slightly increasing percentages from 2023 to 2024. This indicates a growing recognition of the importance of skill development in enhancing employee satisfaction and morale.

Some companies show noticeable dips in training from 2023 to 2024. Gateway Distriparks Limited dropped from 40.63% in 2023 to 11.14% in 2024. A decrease like this could be due to budgetary constraints, changing priorities, or other factors that may negatively impact employee development opportunities. Companies like Mahindra Logistics Limited and TCI Express Limited demonstrate consistent training efforts, staying above 70-80% in both years showing a supportive work environment that values growth and development, which is essential for employee well-being. This disparity suggests that while certain firms recognize the importance of upskilling and career growth as vital to employee well-being, the industry as a whole still faces challenges in implementing uniform, long-term training strategies.

Percentage of Workers receiving Training in Skill Upgradation

The graph shows that TCI Express Limited maintained a 100% training rate in both 2023 and 2024. This shows the clear focus of the company on worker development. Companies like Aegis Logistics, Blue Dart Express Limited and Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited witnessed a sharp increase in training practices representing more realisation of the need to boost worker skills. Further, companies like Delhivery Limited witnessed a slight rise from 1.02% in 2023 to 75.04% in 2024, and Transport Corporation of India Limited from 8.09% to 17.98% representing less emphasis of these companies on skill development of workers but growing understanding about the relevance of worker well-being.

Finally, Gateway Distripark Limited had a decrease in their training for workers showing the presence of factors like budgetary constraints or policy restrictions leading to having a negative influence on workers’ development. Thus, the overall status shows that most companies in the Indian logistic industry realise the relevance of skill upgradation due to which most companies have increased their available training programs for workers. However, still, as the scope for many companies is less, thus more policies are required to include workshops wherein worker skill development is a priority.

Percentage of Workers receiving Training for Health and Safety

The graph highlights that several companies, such as Sindhu Trade Links Limited, TCI Express Limited, and Transport Corporation of India Limited, consistently maintained a 100% training rate in both 2023 and 2024. These companies prioritize worker safety which positively impacts employee well-being. A company like Blue Dart Express Limited shows 176.14% in 2023 and then a significant drop to 104.87% in 2024. This suggests a concerted effort in 2023, addressing a safety gap or increasing compliance with new safety protocols. In contrast, TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited experienced a noticeable drop from 16.78% in 2023 to 16.55% in 2024, indicating minimal health and safety training. This could suggest limited initiatives, which may raise concerns about worker safety and overall well-being. Further, companies like Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited and Gateway Distriparks Limited show consistent efforts in providing health and safety training, maintaining rates around 90% to 100%. This consistency reflects a sustainable focus on ensuring a safe work environment, which is crucial for employee well-being.

This graph also reveals a diverse approach to health and safety training within the Indian logistics industry. Companies with declining or low training percentages may expose their workforce to unnecessary risks, impacting both physical and psychological health. Hence, mostly the Indian logistics industry needs to place more emphasis on improving the health and safety of their workers.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) in Indian Logistics

This chart shows the LTIFR per one million person-hours worked for both employees and workers over two years (2023 and 2024). The LTIFR for employees increased from 4.9 in 2023 to 5.6 in 2024 while for workers rose from 3.0 in 2023 to 5.2 in 2024. Both employees and workers experienced an increase in LTIFR from 2023 to 2024, with workers seeing a larger relative rise. The individual company status shows that mainly companies such as Delhivery Limited and Blue Dart Express Limited experienced a sharp increase in their LTIFR value however, Mahindra Logistics Limited and TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited had a decrease in LTIFR value. All the remaining companies have not disclosed their LTIFR values showing less focus of the companies on reporting the injuries. Also, this upward trend in injury frequency suggests that safety measures might need to be strengthened to reduce workplace injuries for both groups, particularly among workers, who showed a more significant increase.

Complaint Rates and Safety Performance

Health and Safety Complaints increased from 13.35% in 2023 to 17.87% in 2024 while Working Conditions Complaints rose from 20.12% in 2023 to 29.71% in 2024. Both types of complaints increased from 2023 to 2024, with a more significant rise in complaints about working conditions. This trend indicates potential workplace environment and safety issues, signalling a need for improved policies and practices to address these concerns effectively.

Specifically, the company-wise assessment shows that for Blue Dart Express Limited there were no complaints on health and safety while working condition complaints were 0.01% in 2024, Delhivery limited also had very few complaints for each type i.e. 0.0% for health and safety and 0.01% for working conditions in 2024, Mahindra logistics limited had a slight increase in both complaints and also VRL logistics. The remaining companies had a very minute complaint rate or no complaints registered. This showed that the companies were not promoting the registration of complaints for issues. The persistence of a low registered complaint rate highlights less emphasis of logistic companies on employee well-being issues highlighting the need for having more effective policies to promote complaints registration and also encourage organizations to work towards employee well-being.

Percentage of Differently Abled Employees and Workers

The above graph shows that only Blue Dart, Delhivery Limited, and Mahindra Logistics Limited had a consistent share of differently abled employees and workers i.e. 0.08%, 0.07% and 0.25% respectively which is very low showing less emphasis on the companies building inclusive work environment s. Container Corporation of India Limited, TCI Express Limited, TV Supply Chain Solutions Limited and VRL Logistics had slight increases in 2024 showing the growing focus of these companies on creating a more inclusive work environment but still, the status is very low almost negligible. Only Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited had a sharp increase from 0.00% to 1.56%. Also, Gateway Distriparks Limited had a reduction in the rate from 0.06% to 0.05%, a slight but negative change that reflects a possible decline in inclusivity efforts. Overall, while a few companies have made progress, the general trend reflects minimal emphasis on inclusive hiring practices across the logistics sector, with most percentages remaining extremely low. This suggests poor employee well-being status currently and there is significant room for improvement in fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Average Female Representation in Indian Logistics Companies

There is a consistent rate of female participation over the year for all logistics companies. Herein, the highest female representation in the workforce has been for Sindhu Trade Links Limited at 33.33% indicating a strong focus on female inclusion followed by Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited at 31.25%, Blue Dart at 22.92% and Aegis Logistics Limited with 22.22%. These companies show a greater focus on promoting female participation throughout their workforce. Further, companies like Container Corporation of India Limited with 4.50% and VRL Logistics with 7.69% have the smallest shares of female employees. This suggests a need for these companies to strengthen efforts in fostering a more gender-diverse workforce. Overall, the data indicates that while some logistics companies have made strides in achieving gender diversity within their workforce, others remain far behind. As the logistics industry is recognized as a male-driven industry, thus, efforts are taking place for more inclusion of women in the workforce but still, this development is restricted to only a few companies in India.

Well-being scores

The overall well-being score has been 7.97 for the Indian logistics industry. The company-wise assessment shows that Mahindra Logistics Limited leads with the highest contribution, accounting for 22.98% of the industry’s overall well-being score. Blue Dart Express Limited follows with a 10.92% share, while TCI Express Limited and Agarwal Industrial Corporation contribute 9.65% and 9.57%, respectively. These companies appear to place a strong emphasis on employee well-being, significantly impacting the industry’s score. VRL Logistics Limited and Delhivery Limited have the smallest shares, contributing only 2.49% and 2.92%, respectively, to the industry’s well-being score. This indicates comparatively lower engagement or investment in employee well-being initiatives. Overall, while certain companies set the standard for employee welfare in the logistics sector, others may have room to improve their focus on well-being, suggesting an opportunity for industry-wide enhancements in workplace support and well-being measures.

Well-being performance

The overall well-being score suggests that all companies in the Indian logistics industry have poor well-being scores. This could be witnessed by a decrease in training initiatives, particularly those related to health, safety, and skill enhancement, which points to a potential gap in employee development and workplace safety awareness. The presence of higher recordable work-related injuries and a rising Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) suggest safety risks that could be impacting employee well-being, likely due to insufficient safety measures or training. A low rate of recorded complaints may indicate either a lack of robust reporting channels or an unwillingness among employees to report issues, both of which can undermine well-being by leaving grievances unaddressed. Lastly, minimal inclusion of differently abled employees and a lower percentage of female workforce participation highlight a lack of inclusivity, which may affect the overall workplace environment and culture. These factors collectively underscore the need for the logistics industry to strengthen its focus on employee well-being through enhanced safety measures, inclusive hiring practices, comprehensive training, and supportive grievance reporting systems.

References

• Bahn, S., & Barratt-Pugh, L. (2014). Safety training evaluation: The case of construction induction training and the impact on work-related injuries in the Western Australian construction sector. International Journal of Training Research, 12(2), 148–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2014.11082037
• Bayram, M. (2019). Safety training and competence, employee participation and involvement, employee satisfaction, and safety performance: An Empirical Study on Occupational health and safety Management system implementing manufacturing firms. Alphanumeric Journal, 7(2), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.17093/alphanumeric.555154
• NBCC India. (2021). Business Responsibility Sustainability Reporting Policy [Report]. https://www.nbccindia.in/pdfData/policies/BRSR%20Policy_NBCC_12042023.pdf
• Rahman, I. U., & Tahseen, M. (2023). Analyzing Employee well-being in Corporate sectors: data insights and statistical findings. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management, 07 (03). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsrem18225