ET Graphics: Inside India’s factories — Jobs, pay, margins
More than 40% of India's factory workers are employed on contract, while women account for less than a fifth of directly employed workers, with jobs concentrated in a few southern states. An analysis of the Annual Survey of Industries also finds t...
An analysis of the 2024-25 Annual Survey of Industries examines India's factory workforce, gender representation, profitability and wage distribution, revealing sharp differences across industries and states. (Representative image)
More than four in 10 factory workers are on contract, and women, who make up less than a fifth of directly employed workers, are concentrated in a few southern states.
The biggest industries are not the most profitable: food and refining make nearly a quarter of factory output but run on thin margins, according to analysis of the Annual Survey of Industries released by the statistics ministry.
Of the value factories add, profits took about half (50.3%) and employees’ pay about a third in 2024-25. That pay share is higher in Tamil Nadu than in capital-heavy states such as Gujarat, a gap that likely reflects industry mix. ANOUSHKA SAWHNEY takes a look
