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Manufacturing and jobs: is India different?

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  • Sher Singh Verick

    (ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India
    IZA)

Abstract

In recent years, there has been widespread debate on India’s perceived failure to industrialise to the same extent as East Asian and other countries. Against this backdrop, this paper reviews the different dimensions and trends in the manufacturing sector, particularly in terms of employment. The paper highlights that, although manufacturing in India lags behind that in other countries, there is considerable variation within the sector across segments and states. Moreover, Indian manufacturing has been—and will continue to be—particularly skill- and capital-intensive. It is clear that a range of economic and regulatory factors are interacting to determine the nature of production and employment in the sector. In response, a broader industrial policy is required to promote a competitive manufacturing sector that creates decent employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Sher Singh Verick, 2016. "Manufacturing and jobs: is India different?," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 59(1), pages 57-84, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:59:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s41027-016-0047-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s41027-016-0047-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Rolph van der Hoeven, 2018. "Employment and development in Asia," WIDER Working Paper Series 107, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Sher Singh Verick, 2017. "The puzzles and contradictions of the Indian labour market: What will the future of work look like?," ASARC Working Papers 2017-02, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    3. Rolph van der Hoeven, 2018. "Employment and development in Asia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-107, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. S. Mahendra Dev, 2018. "Inequality, employment and public policy," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2018-003, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.

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