Manufacturing

In the news

• Industrial output growth slows to a four-month low of 6.7% in September 2026 29 October 2026 · Indian Express

  Machines and inputs are booming, but everyday consumer goods barely grew. What does that say about demand?

• Op-ed: India's factories are growing, but not creating jobs at the scale needed 2 October 2026 · Indian Express

  Factory output and wage bills are rising. So why are most non-farm workers still in informal units?

• Make in India turns 12 with a patchy scorecard 25 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Output grew. Did manufacturing's share of jobs and exports?

Key facts

• IIP growth was 6.7% in September 2026, a four-month low; August was revised to 7.8% from 8%. (29 October 2026)
• The IIP now uses base year 2022-23 and has four sectors, including a new water supply, sewerage and waste management sector. (29 October 2026)
• ASI 2024-25: persons engaged in registered factories rose 7.19%, from 1.96 crore to 2.10 crore, adding more than 14 lakh jobs. (2 October 2026)
• ASI 2024-25: GVA grew 9.59%, output 7.81%, invested capital 11.10%, emoluments 12.08% and net profit 7.73%. (2 October 2026)
• Make in India was launched on 25 September 2014 to make India a global manufacturing hub. (25 September 2026)
• Supporting measures include PLI schemes, PM GatiShakti, the National Single Window System and FDI liberalisation. (25 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2025 · GS3 · 15 marks Discuss the rationale of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. What are its achievements? In what way can the functioning and outcomes of the scheme be improved?
2. 2023 · GS3 · 10 marks Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard.
3. 2017 · GS3 · 15 marks "Industrial growth rate has lagged behind in the overall growth of Gross-Domestic-Product (GDP) in the post-reform period" Give reasons. How far the recent changes in Industrial Policy are capable of increasing the…
4. 2017 · GS3 · 10 marks Account for the failure of manufacturing sector in achieving the goal of labour-intensive exports rather than capital-intensive exports. Suggest measures for more labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive exports.
5. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marks How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country?
6. 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marks "Success of Make in India program depends on the success of Skill India programme and radical labour reforms." Discuss with logical arguments.
7. 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and then later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth of services vis-a-vis industry in the…