For many low-wage workers in India, basic skills training can be the difference between economic empowerment and persistent poverty. It may seem that the employers of such low-wage workers — who focus mainly on keeping costs down in order to survive in a relentlessly competitive industry — would have no incentive to provide such training or resources for personal development. But our research suggests that a better way to manage low-wage workers in developing economies is to invest in them, which is good for both worker welfare and the company’s bottom line.