Manufacturing jobs and wages grew faster in FY25, according to a new survey. Employment in the sector rose 7.2% to 21 million people, crossing the 20-million mark for the first time. Wages for workers grew 13% in FY25. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana led in total employment.

The number of people employed in the manufacturing sector rose 7.2% year-on-year in FY25, quicker than the 5.9% rise in FY24. The sector employed 21 million people in FY25, up from 19.59 million in FY24. This was the first time the total workers employed in the organised manufacturing sector crossed the 20-million mark.

The food products sector employed the most workers in FY25 within the manufacturing sector, followed by the textiles sector and basic metals.

Total emoluments paid rose 12.1% in FY25, up from 11.86% a year ago. Wages for workers specifically grew 13% in FY25, compared to 12% in FY24.

Emoluments per person, however, rose at a slower pace of 4.6% in FY25, lower than 5.6% in FY24. On average, a person employed in the manufacturing sector earned Rs 382,451 in FY25.

Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana led the states in total persons engaged in the manufacturing sector in FY25. These five states contributed over 56% of the total manufacturing employment in FY25.

Invested capital, which includes fixed capital and physical working capital, rose 11.1% in FY25 to Rs 75.56 lakh crore, the quickest pace of growth since FY17.

Fixed capital rose 10.5% in the reporting year to Rs 51.12 lakh crore. In FY24, fixed capital had grown 12.2%.

Gross value added growth slowed to 9.6% in FY25 from 11.9% in FY24, while industrial output rose 7.8%, up from 5.8% growth in FY24.

"The top five industries -- Basic metal, Motor vehicles, Chemical and Chemical products, Pharmaceutical Products and Food Products -- taken together, contributed more than 45% of the total manufacturing GVA of the country during 2024-25," the ministry said in a release.

The total number of establishments in the formal manufacturing sector increased 2.6% to 266,931 in the FY25 ASI from 260,061 in FY24. The highest number of establishments were reported in Tamil Nadu at 41,221, followed by Gujarat at 33,084, and Maharashtra with 27,379 factories.