How NEC India Positions Purpose as a Brand Lever

NEC Corporation India says it has been reshaping its organisational culture through a purpose-led programme aimed at connecting employee roles with broader societal outcomes. Under the purpose statement “Empowering Lives, Building Tomorrow,” the company launched its Ikigai Program in 2021 to align its operations with the expectations of a younger workforce.

According to the company, the programme introduced playbooks, leadership-led workshops, video communication and redesigned office spaces featuring employee accounts. NEC says leadership teams were assigned to drive the initiative internally, with marketing working more closely across functions.

The company reports the following internal outcomes since the programme was rolled out:

•92% retention, which it says is the highest for the company in five years

•75% employee engagement score, stated as the strongest among NEC’s global affiliates

•97% participation in internal surveys

•4.6 rating on AmbitionBox, which NEC links to its employer brand efforts

NEC also states that cross-functional coordination has improved and that more employees are able to relate their work to outcomes in areas such as smart cities, digital identity, and public-service platforms.

As per the company’s internal assessments, 85% of employees reported a sense of belonging, and 74% said they took initiatives beyond formal responsibilities.

NEC says the Ikigai Program remains ongoing, and it aims to use it as a framework for future culture-building efforts.