The results of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) for 2025, by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), make for a sobering read. The survey aims to map the changes in India’s informal sector for a given calendar year — essentially, the informal sector refers to the unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises. On the face of it, ASUSE 2025 shows that both the number of enterprises in this sector as well as the number of people employed in it have grown. However, a closer look at these numbers reveals a fair degree of sluggishness in the informal economy. Even the number of new jobs created in this sector in 2025 (74.5 lakh) is far lower than the new jobs created in 2024.

Source: Indian Express March 26, 2026 08:35 UTC