New district-level data from MoSPI reveals a stark regional divide in India's informal sector, with Telangana's Nirmal district topping the charts for female worker participation.
- Nirmal district (Telangana) records the highest female informal worker share at 78%.
- Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) records the lowest share at 6.7%.
- The national average for women in the informal workforce stands at 29%.
- A strong inverse correlation exists between high female participation and wage levels.
In a landmark release of district-level estimates, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has unveiled data from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE 2025). The findings highlight a dramatic disparity in the composition of India's informal economy, with Nirmal district in northern Telangana emerging as the national leader, where women constitute 78% of the informal workforce.
The data underscores a sharp geographical contrast. While Nirmal leads the country, its neighbor Nanded in Maharashtra ranks 288th, with women making up only 31% of its informal workers. The report reveals that the top 10 districts with the highest female participation are concentrated exclusively in South India and the North-East, indicating a strong regional cultural or economic trend favoring female entry into unincorporated sectors.
Why This Matters
BozokMedia analysis shows that high participation does not equate to high prosperity. There is a glaring 'pay divide' embedded in the data. In districts where women dominate the workforce, wages remain stubbornly low. For instance, South West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya—the best-paying among the top 25 high-participation districts—offers emoluments of Rs 1.7 lakh, barely 35% above the national average. Conversely, Dehradun, where women make up only 19% of the workforce, boasts the highest emoluments at Rs 4.6 lakh per worker.
The concentration of women in the informal sector reflects a systemic reliance on low-cost female labor rather than a shift toward high-value female entrepreneurship.
The report further links high participation to ownership. Nirmal district also tops the list for female-owned proprietary establishments, with nearly 80% of such businesses owned by women. However, in terms of absolute volume, West Bengal's North 24 Parganas remains the powerhouse of the informal sector, hosting 21.3 lakh workers and 16.6 lakh establishments.
Historically, the unincorporated non-agricultural sector—comprising manufacturing, trade, and services—has been the backbone of Indian livelihoods. The ASUSE 2025 report indicates that the total number of unincorporated establishments rose to 7.92 crore. However, the pace of job creation has slowed, with 74.5 lakh jobs created in 2025 compared to 1.1 crore in the previous cycle.
| District/Metric | Female Participation (%) | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Nirmal (Telangana) | 78% | National Highest |
| Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) | 6.7% | National Lowest |
| All-India Average | 29% | National Benchmark |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the ASUSE survey?
The Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) tracks businesses that are not registered as companies, focusing on the informal non-agricultural sector.
2. Why is there a wage gap in female-dominated districts?
The data suggests that women in these regions are often engaged in lower-value services or small-scale trade that offers lower emoluments compared to the male-dominated industrial hubs.
