The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the results of Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) for 2023-24 for the reference period October, 2023 – September, 2024 referred to as ASUSE 2023-24 in this press note. A brief overview of the survey in terms of coverage, sampling strategy, data collection mechanism, etc., is provided in the Endnote.

The unincorporated non-agricultural sector plays an important role in the Indian economy contributing significantly to employment, Gross Domestic Product and the overall socio-economic landscape. This sector not only sustains livelihoods for millions but also acts as a backbone for the incorporated sector by supplying goods and services, reinforcing its role in the domestic value chain.

ASUSE is carried out with the primary objective of measuring various economic and operational characteristics of unincorporated non-agricultural establishments in manufacturing, trade and other services sectors (excluding construction). The survey collects data on various economic characteristics of this sector including number of workers, GVA, emoluments paid, fixed asset owned, outstanding loan, besides, different types of operational characteristics such as type of ownership, nature of operation, registration status, use of ICT, etc.

The data serves as a key input for policymaking, supporting National Accounts Statistics, fulfilling the requirements of Ministries such as M/o Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), Textiles, Labour & Employment, and empowering stakeholders to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Key highlights from the ASUSE 2023-24 results:

The ASUSE 2023-24 results highlight significant growth in establishments, employment, and productivity in the unincorporated non-agricultural sector, demonstrating the sector's recovery from pandemic-related challenges and its resurgence with renewed momentum.

Growth in Establishments, Gross Value Added and Productivity Metrics:

The total number of establishments in the sector increased substantially from 6.50 crore in 2022-23 to 7.34 crore in 2023-24, representing a healthy12.84% growth. Among the broad sectors covered, the number of establishments in the "Other Services" sector recorded a growth of 23.55% followed by a 13% increase witnessed by the manufacturing sector. This significant increase highlights consistent sectoral expansion and reinforces the sector's critical role in driving the overall growth of the unincorporatedsector.

During the same period, the Gross Value Added (GVA) which is a key indicator of economic performance rose by16.52% driven by a 26.17% growth in other services sector.

Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker which is a measure of labour productivity of the sector, rose to Rs. 1,49,742 in 2023-24 from Rs. 1,41,769 in 2022-23 in current prices showing a 5.62% increase. During the same period, the Gross Value of Output (GVO) per establishment also increased from Rs. 4,63,389 to Rs. 4,91,862 in current prices.

Strong Labour Market Performance

The sector employed more than 12 crore workers between October 2023 and September 2024, marking an increase of more than one crore workers from 2022-23 and reflecting robust labour market growth. Among the broad activities, "Other Services" sector showed the highest annual growth of 17.86% followed by 10.03% by manufacturing sector.

The percentage of female-owned proprietary establishments has increased from 22.9% in 2022-23 to 26.2% in ASUSE 2023-24. This trend indicates a positive shift in the participation of women in business ownership, highlighting an increase in the female entrepreneurship over the given period.

The average emolument per hired workeralso increased by 13% in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, 2022-23, signaling improvements in wage levels. This wage growth serves as a catalyst, strengthening the labour market, enhancing productivity, and fueling broader economic demand.The highest increase in this metric was observed in manufacturing sector with a growth of little more than 16%.

Better Digital Penetration

Percentage of establishments using internet has also grown significantly from 21.1% in 2022-23 to 26.7% in ASUSE 2023-24. This substantial growth reflects a strong trend toward digital adoption among establishments, highlighting the increasing reliance on the internet for business operations.

Annual estimates of key indicators (value figures in current price), of ASUSE 2021-22to ASUSE 2023-24 are given in Table 1 below. Theannual estimates for ASUSE 2023-24for the broad activity categories are provided in the factsheet which is available in the website of the Ministry (https://www.mospi.gov.in). Further, interactive tables and visualizations on ASUSE 2021-22 and 2022-23 results may be accessed on the Data Catalogue section of https://esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in/.

*pertaining to market establishments

 

 

Endnote: A brief about the coverage, sampling scheme, sample size and data collection mechanism in the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE):

A. Coverage of ASUSE:

A.1. Geographically, ASUSE covers the rural and urban areas of whole of India (except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are difficult to access).

A.2. Sector-wise, this survey captures unincorporated non-agricultural establishments belonging to three sectors viz., Manufacturing, Trade and Other Services.

A.3. Ownership-wise, unincorporated non-agricultural establishments pertaining to proprietorship, partnership (excluding Limited Liability Partnerships), Self-Help Groups (SHG), co-operatives, societies/trusts etc. have been covered in ASUSE.

 

B. Sampling Scheme:

The survey has been conducted following a multi-stage stratified sampling scheme, where first stage units (FSUs) are census villages in rural area (except for rural Kerala, where Panchayat wards have been taken as FSUs) and UFS (Urban Frame Survey) blocks in urban areas.  The ultimate stage units (USUs) are establishments for both the sectors. In the case of large FSUs, one intermediate stage of sampling has been done in the form of hamlet groups in rural and sub-blocks in urban. 

 

C. Sample Size:

In ASUSE 2023-24, data were collected from a total of 4,98,024establishments (2,73,085 in rural and 2,24,939 in urban) from 16,842 surveyed FSUs (8,523 in rural and 8,319 in urban).

 

D. Data Collection Mechanism:

ASUSE 2023-24 has been conducted based on area frame and establishments have been listed in the selected FSUs of both rural and urban sector. Mostly, data were collected from the selected establishments through oral enquiry pertaining to the ‘monthly’ reference period barring a few big establishments, which had provided annual data from their audited Books of Accounts. The data for the survey were collected in Tablet using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI).

 

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