India presents a unique conundrum for human resource managers who are looking for innovative ways to attract an increasingly mobile and skilled workforce that offers the talent needed in the global marketplace. Although there are employment opportunities galore and prospective employers are waging an open war for available talent, Indian companies historically have provided employee benefits targeted towards a generation who believed in and adhered to the concept of lifelong employment. Benefits provided under retirement and health programs are undergoing changes to attract and retain a new generation of workers, many of whom are under the age of 25.

This article explores some of the employee benefits and practices that are commonly found in India, focusing on retirement and health programs. Separate, government-run social security programs that have implications in the employment-based setting are beyond the scope of this article.