Source: PIB
Context of the News
In September 2026, the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the report “Unincorporated Sector at the District Level: Insights from ASUSE 2025.” This is the first time India has received estimates of the unincorporated non-agricultural sector at the district level, giving a much more detailed picture of enterprises, workers and economic activity across different districts.
Key Highlights
Based on ASUSE 2025
The report uses data from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2025.
- Survey period: January–December 2025
- It covers unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises operating across India.
- The district-level estimates provide more granular data than state-level estimates.
Earlier, we could understand the unincorporated sector mainly at the state level. Now, we can see which districts are contributing the most.
What is the Unincorporated Sector?
Unincorporated enterprises are businesses that are not registered as companies under the Companies Act.
Examples include:
- Small shops
- Street vendors
- Small manufacturing units
- Repair businesses
- Small restaurants
- Household enterprises
- Other small service and trading businesses
These enterprises are important because they provide large-scale employment and contribute significantly to India’s economy.
Top District by State
- Telangana — Rangareddy, 23.53 per cent
- Gujarat — Surat, 19.43 per cent
- West Bengal — North 24 Parganas, 15.99 per cent
- Punjab — Ludhiana, 14.74 per cent
- Karnataka — Bengaluru (Urban), 12.83 per cent
- Kerala — Thiruvananthapuram, 12.38 per cent
- Rajasthan — Jaipur, 11.70 per cent
- Maharashtra — Pune, 9.14 per cent
- Bihar — Patna, 8.23 per cent
- Tamil Nadu — Chennai, 7.13 per cent
- Uttar Pradesh — Prayagraj, 5.77 per cent
Key Terms
- NSO: National Statistical Office, the main statistical agency under MoSPI.
- ASUSE: Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises.
- Unincorporated Enterprise: A business that is not incorporated as a company under the Companies Act.
- GVA: Gross Value Added; the value added by producers to goods and services after accounting for the cost of inputs.
- Granular Data: Detailed information available at a smaller geographical level, such as the district level.
- Non-Agricultural Sector: Economic activities other than crop cultivation, animal husbandry, forestry and fishing.
