New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) The total number of establishments in the unincorporated non-agricultural sector increased substantially from 7.34 crore to 7.92 crore, representing a healthy 7.97 per cent growth and driving economic expansion, the government said on Wednesday.

Among the broad sectors, the number of establishments in the ‘Other Services’ sector recorded a robust growth of 10.29 per cent, followed by a 6.48 per cent increase witnessed by the manufacturing sector and 6.18 per cent by trade sector, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which released the key results of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) for the reference period of January 2025 to December 2025.

The unincorporated non-agricultural sector is a vital component of the Indian economy, generating large-scale employment, supporting livelihoods, and contributing significantly to GDP while complementing the organised sector.

The unincorporated non-agricultural sector employed about 12.81 crore workers between January 2025 and December 2025, adding more than 74.52 lakh jobs from 2023-24 (October 2023–September 2024), reflecting robust labour market expansion.

More than one-third of this workforce was engaged in the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Female workers accounted for about 29 per cent of the total workforce in the sector.

Of the total female workers, nearly 22 per cent were engaged in the manufacturing of wearing apparel.

Additionally, female proprietors headed over 60 per cent of establishments in the manufacturing sector.

“Overall, the percentage of female-headed proprietary establishments increased marginally from 26.17 per cent in ASUSE 2023-24 to 26.93 per cent in ASUSE 2025. These trends indicate a notable presence and growing participation of women in the unincorporated sector, both as workers and as entrepreneurs, reflecting the increasing role of the sector in women’s empowerment,” said the findings.

Nearly 72 per cent of female-led hired-worker establishments engaged at least one female hired worker, highlighting their role in generating employment opportunities for women.

Overall, around 80 per cent of the outstanding loan has been routed through different institutional sources, including commercial banks and government schemes, indicating better access and greater dependence on formal credit, said the survey report.

–IANS

na/vd