India releases first district-level data on informal sector enterprises

India's National Statistics Office has unveiled district-level figures from the 2025 Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, the first such detailed dataset. The survey spans 757 districts and estimates 79.2 million informal establishments with 128.1 million workers across the country. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the largest proportion of both firms and jobs, followed by West Bengal and Maharashtra.

However, Maharashtra contributes a larger share of gross value added relative to its number of establishments, and Tamil Nadu also outperforms its establishment share in value creation. These disparities become more pronounced when examined at the district scale, offering new insights for policymakers and analysts.