Employment in India’s unincorporated non-agricultural sector crossed 130 million for the first time in the January–March 2025 quarter, reaching 131.3 million, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Statistics. This marks a significant rise over the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2023–24 estimate of just over 120 million. Employment eased slightly to 128.6 million in the April–June quarter but remained well above previous annual benchmarks.
Women accounted for over 28 percent of the workforce in both quarters, underscoring the sector’s role in gender-inclusive growth. The number of establishments rose to 79.4 million in April–June 2025, up from 78.5 million in the previous quarter. The increase was led by the trade segment, which grew 3.63 percent, and other services, which rose 3.13 percent.
The April–June dip in employment was linked to a reduction in establishments hiring workers and a moderate performance in manufacturing, where the employment share fell by more than 2 percentage points. The share of working owners rose from 58.29 percent in January–March to 60.18 percent in April–June, indicating a shift toward self-employment and owner-driven enterprises, particularly in manufacturing.
The rural workforce expanded from 59.7 million to 62.5 million, highlighting the growing role of unincorporated enterprises in rural economic activity. Internet usage among these enterprises rose to 36.03 percent in April–June from 34.20 percent in the previous quarter, reflecting increased digital adoption and integration into online platforms for business operations.
