By Manoj Kumar
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The number of jobs in small Indian businesses comprising manufacturing, trade and services rose to 120.6 million in 2023/24 from 109.6 million a year earlier, according to a government report released on Tuesday.
The estimated number of small manufacturing businesses increased to 20.15 million in 2023/24 from 17.83 million in 2022/23, while the total number of such businesses spanning manufacturing, trade and services rose to 73.4 million from 65 million a year earlier, the data showed.
The survey was conducted from October 2023 to September 2024.
“The unincorporated non-agricultural sector, comprising small manufacturing, trade and other services, plays a crucial role in the economy… contributing significantly to employment,” said Saurabh Garg, secretary at the Ministry of Statistics, while releasing the annual report.
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi. Editing by Mark Potter)
