- Why in news
- On 30 September 2026, MoSPI released the Annual Survey of Industries results for 2024-25, showing growth in output, employment and value added in registered manufacturing.
- What it is
- The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is the main source of data on India's registered factory sector. It is run by the National Statistics Office under MoSPI. It measures output, value added, employment and capital formation, and feeds into National Accounts Statistics.
- Who runs it
- MoSPI releases the ASI results. Field work is done through the NSO.
- Legal basis of data collection
- Data are collected under the Collection of Statistics Act 2008, as amended in 2017, and its 2011 Rules. The survey runs on a web portal with no paper schedule.
- Coverage
- ASI covers factories registered under Sections 2m(i) and 2m(ii) of the Factories Act 1948, plus bidi and cigar units and certain electricity undertakings.
- Approach
- ASI follows an establishment approach, not an enterprise approach. Data come from selected establishments.
- Top States
- Maharashtra had the highest GVA. Tamil Nadu had the most factories and the most persons engaged.
Don’t confuse with ASI vs Index of Industrial Production: ASI is an annual survey of registered factories giving structure and value added. IIP is a monthly index of production volumes.
Don’t confuse with Establishment vs enterprise approach: ASI collects data from each establishment (factory), not from the whole enterprise that owns it.
Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.
Why it matters
- Gives State and industry-level data for planning manufacturing and employment policy.
- Feeds into National Accounts Statistics such as GVA estimates.
Problems
- It covers only registered factories, so the large informal manufacturing sector is outside it.
- It is a sample survey, so estimates carry sampling error and results come with a long lag.
Way forward
- Use business registers and administrative data to improve coverage and speed.
- Link ASI with surveys of unincorporated enterprises for a full picture of manufacturing.
Put in your answer
Employment in registered manufacturing: Persons engaged rose from 1.96 crore to 2.10 crore in 2024-25, a rise of 7.19%.
Concentration in a few States: Five States account for about 56% of manufacturing employment, showing uneven regional spread.
Industry concentration: Five industries gave over 45% of manufacturing GVA: basic metal, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food products.
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q1Why India shifted from agriculture directly to services, skipping industry; is industrial base needed?
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q12Why industrial growth lagged overall GDP growth post-reform; will policy changes help?
- 2023Mains GS3 · Q1Comment on government policies to raise manufacturing's GDP share, especially MSMEs.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Routine annual data release; worth a card for the survey itself but little for a statement or Mains question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.