Labour and Industry

This theme examines the evolving relationship between labour, production systems, and industrial organisation in India. It situates contemporary issues—such as the expansion of informal and precarious work, the organisation of supply chains, and the rise of digital and platform-mediated labour—within longer histories of industrial development. The theme seeks to understand how shifts in industry reshape the composition of the workforce force and the nature of work.

A central concern in the Indian context is the persistence of informality despite sustained economic growth, and the ways in which this varies across industries and states. Relatedly, the theme examines how industrial policies, labour regulations, and firm-level dynamics influence employment trajectories and working conditions. The expansion of platform-based work and technological change raises further questions about wages, job security, and worker agency. Empirical engagement with these issues draws on large-scale national datasets—such as enterprise surveys, labour force surveys, economic censuses, as well as administrative records on firms and workers—enabling detailed analysis of employment patterns, productivity, and structural shifts within and across industries.

Faculty involved: Angarika Rakshit