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Monday, February 23, 2026
TopicFormal and informal sector

Topic: Formal and informal sector

India’s informal sector continues to grow even as govt claims higher formalisation, new data shows

The latest govt survey of the non-agricultural informal sector shows it shrank between 2015-16 and 2021-22, following which it has been growing both in terms of establishments and workers.

Real wages grew just 0.01% over the last 5 years and contracted in Haryana & UP, Ind-Ra report finds

India Ratings & Research's report, based on govt data, also points to the deteriorating quality of jobs in the country, including more self-employed and informal workers.

54 lakh informal jobs lost, stagnant worker output — how DeMo, GST & COVID hit India’s manufacturing

The analysis of two official databases shows that the formal manufacturing sector barely added any jobs since 2015-16, while the informal portion saw job losses.

‘India can see China-like economic success without sacrificing democracy,’ says TeamLease vice-chairman

Manish Sabharwal blames regulatory hurdles, lack of human capital development, and failure to transition from farm to non-farm sectors for India’s slower economic growth compared to China.

What reports on Indian women’s falling participation in labour force don’t tell you

Critics analysing World Bank report to claim continuance of patriarchal oppression and structural barriers fail to acknowledge a critical aspect about women's economic participation in India.

How India’s informal economy is shrinking, and why that’s good news in the long term

Greater formalisation will see a shift from low-paying, labour-intensive jobs in informal sector to more productive, formal-sector jobs. This could lead to disruption in short term.

More young urban Indian men appear to be studying longer, not looking for jobs: New research

Researchers looked at 2004-05 NSS data and 2017-18 labour force survey to find men in 20-29 age group in states like Bihar and Jharkhand either take an informal job or remain unemployed.

Economists must stop looking at rural India as just labour supply tool post Covid: Yunus

Now is a good time to integrate the most crucial feature missing in the Indian micro-finance system — running it as a social business, writes Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

Don’t let your dislike of Yogi Adityanath get in the way. Labour reform is a good idea

A rational labour framework will lead to a larger number of Indian workers enjoying basic protections. Much depends on what the new labour landscape in UP and MP looks like.

To get more women in labour force, India must stop pushing industrial areas to city limits

It is essential for cities to recognise that urban neighbourhoods are not just residential areas, and develop amenities for both work and living.

On Camera

Life in Delhi isn’t easy for Northeast Indians. Racism is always round the corner

Racism is a problem for privileged mainlanders only when it's meted out to them abroad. In their own backyard, it's normalised as 'I was just kidding. Chill yaar'.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

IAF’s Tejas fleet undergoes ‘maintenance check’, decision on airframe yet to be taken

The 7 February incident involving Tejas aircraft caused severe damage to its frame. IAF and HAL are working together as part of the Board of Inquiry (BoI) to probe the incident.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.