Manpower services refers to the human resources or personnel provided by an organization or company to fulfill specific tasks, services or business requirements. These roles involve the recruitment, placement and management of individuals commonly referred to as employees or employees to meet the employee needs of other organizations. Manpower services may be provided by specialized agencies or firms that focus on sourcing, training and supplying skilled or unskilled workers to businesses in various industries.
The procurement of employee services is a strategic decision that government agencies make to improve the quality of their employees increase productivity and adapt to a dynamic environment thus allowing agencies to remain cost effective and according to relevant laws. Personnel services in the government sector offer a flexible approach to personnel management allowing companies to adapt to changing needs and better access to specialized skills. This collaboration with personnel services greatly contributes to government services and overall service delivery improves. These services are broad including temporary staffing, permanent hiring, specific outsourcing and other staffing solutions Industries such as construction, hospitality, healthcare, IT and manufacturing commonly rely on manpower services.
This analysis highlights the procurement of manpower services by diverse government agencies and PSUs in India throughout the year 2023. Out of the 8,000 government entities, 576 of them issued 50,000+ manpower services tenders spanning various states. Remarkably, West Bengal, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh emerged as the leading states in procuring tenders for manpower services. Within the subset of 576 government entities, the West Bengal Public Health Engineering Department distinguished itself by issuing the highest number of tenders.
Several tenders were specifically issued for acquiring manpower dedicated to water line related projects. The contribution of manpower services is pivotal in the effective completion of water line works, offering skilled, flexible and safety aware workers. Their involvement extends across different project phases encompassing planning installation maintenance and emergency response, thereby guaranteeing the effectiveness, quality and safety of water line infrastructure. As an illustration, Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) in Karnataka issued tenders for the supply of manpower for water management for summer crops at Turuvekere, Mallaghattatank, Sarigehalli Tank for the year 2023-24. Additionally, the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department in Tamil Nadu advertised tenders for the supply of manpower for the operation at 27 MLD Salem Mettur water supply (Nangavalli) scheme intake tower and Karumalaikoodal booster pumping station and Nangavalli purification station for one year.
Tenders were published for the acquisition of manpower services encompassing diverse categories including technical, non technical, highly skilled, semi skilled, unskilled and minimum wage manpower services. As an example, The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in Chandigarh issued tenders for manpower outsourcing services specifically for minimum wage unskilled carpenter positions. Similarly, the Government of India ePublishing System in Assam published tenders for minimum wage skilled manpower outsourcing services including roles in administration and data entry operation.
The education department released a large number of tenders for the acquisition of various manpower services. In the education sector both skilled and unskilled manpower services played essential roles where skilled professionals directly contribute to academic and instructional aspects, while unskilled workers provide support for overall infrastructure maintenance and day to day operations of educational institutions. For instance, NALSA Delhi published tenders for manpower outsourcing services with fixed remuneration for administrative roles, stenographers, graduates and multitasking staff specifically for a high school. In contrast the Chennai Corporation in Tamil Nadu issued tenders for the provision of private laborers for tasks related to sweeping and toilet cleaning at a primary school in Chennai.
Healthcare departments also issued numerous tenders to acquire manpower services aiming to ensure the delivery of high quality patient care uphold a secure environment and operate with efficiency. The role of manpower services in hospitals is extensive, addressing staffing requirements in medical, administrative, technical and support services. For example, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam issued tenders for an annual contract covering the upkeep, cleaning and housekeeping of various areas including power house buildings, off site areas, division offices, hospital buildings and DG set premises at JSPS, Jawahar Sagar, Bundi district. Additionally, the Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways in Odisha invited tenders for the provision of manpower for office work, housekeeping and para medical workers for PPA hospital.
Additionally, manpower agencies were asked to deploy security guards. This approach aims to harness the expertise, and cost effective solutions offered by manpower services to fulfill their security requirements. This external resourcing allows agencies to strengthen their security measures without the complications associated with managing an in house security team. These security guard tenders encompass the procurement of both armed and unarmed security services. For instance, the department of School Education and Literacy in Puducherry published tenders for supply of unarmed security guards for offices, commercial establishments, institutions and residences. The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER) in West Bengal released a tender for armed security guards.
Many government agencies have published tenders for the acquisition of manual labor to address diverse needs including construction, maintenance, emergency response, community development and various public service initiatives. Over 300 manual labor tenders were issued across various states in India. For example the Department of Rural Development Panchayats in Punjab published a tender for the supply of materials and skilled labor for the construction of an MGNREGA Bhawan or library in the village of Kutba, district Barnala.
As of February 4 2024 a total of 1924 procurements for manpower services were published by government agencies in India. The state of Karnataka leads with 468 tenders at 24% followed by Uttar Pradesh with 367 tenders at 19%. Maharashtra follows with 274 tenders at 14% and West Bengal with 254 tenders at 13%.
This study highlights the need for manpower in construction and various other industries of the government. Their sheer volume is a clear indication that outsourcing of manpower to meet specific needs in the public space continues to be of immense importance and is a widespread and established practice. Consequently, organizations that can provide these services are recommended to actively monitor and participate in relevant tenders to secure business opportunities.
