India recorded an expansion of 14 million manufacturing jobs between 2018 and 2024, according to new estimates released by Data For India using PLFS and census projections. The findings highlight how employment surged during the post-pandemic period, with custom tailoring accounting for a large share of the increase.
What changed in manufacturing employment
The manufacturing sector added jobs steadily across six years, but the fastest acceleration began after 2021. Tailoring roles grew rapidly as consumers demanded altered, repaired, and custom-fit clothing. The dataset indicates that nearly two of every five manufacturing jobs created since 2018 were taken up by tailors.
Impact on workers and the sector
The rise in tailoring reveals how small, home-based and shop-level units shaped manufacturing employment patterns. By 2024, roughly 5 million new roles came from custom tailoring alone, while other manufacturing activities together contributed close to 9 million jobs. The shift underscores the importance of micro-enterprises in labour absorption.
Data on earnings and training
Data For India noted that roughly 99% of custom tailors operate in the informal manufacturing economy without contracts or social protections. More than 80% have never received formal vocational training. Earnings remain low: about eight in ten self-employed workers in this segment make around ₹6,000 per month, well below the average for other manufacturing trades.
What the findings indicate going forward
The report shows that manufacturing job creation increasingly relies on informal and service-adjacent trades such as tailoring. The numbers also clarify how post-pandemic recovery patterns shaped workforce distribution across the sector.
