Procter & Gamble India, American Express (I) Pvt Ltd and National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) lead the pack of the top 25 companies, who have been rated as the Best Employers in India 2003. The study conducted by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm, has rated companies by analysing leading HR systems and philosophies and determining how these effectively meet employee needs and drive business.

In the special awards category, Nestle India scored for long term approach towards talent management, while Dr Reddys found mention for creating value to society through its philosophy, products and services.

Infosys won the special award for providing a working class working environment to its employees. in its third year, 220 organisations participated in the Best Employers in India 2003, up from the last year figure of 204. The study was open to all organisations in India that have been established for a minimum of three years and have not less than 100 white collar employees.

Data was collected from 58,000 employees. The selection of the best employers was based on in-depth questionnaires completed by the CEOs, HR departments and employees of participant organisation, which was followed by an onsite audit.

The key determinants of selecting the best employers of the total list was talent management as an important investment, building a high performance work environment, clear articulation of the elements of the organisations culture, use of rewards as a differentiating tool and leadership behaviour throughout the organisation.