NSO data for January to March 2026 shows 16.69% year-on-year growth in unincorporated non-agricultural establishments with employment crossing 15 crore for the first time.
The National Statistics Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released the Quarterly Bulletin on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (QBUSE) for the quarter January to March 2026 on May 21, 2026. The estimated number of unincorporated non-agricultural establishments rose to 9.16 crore during the quarter, up from 7.85 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, recording a year-on-year growth of 16.69%. The rural sector was the primary driver of this expansion, registering a growth of 20.46%, while the urban sector grew by 12.59%. Employment in the sector reached 15.17 crore, crossing the 15-crore mark for the first time, with year-on-year growth of 15.51%. The services sector was the standout performer, with establishments growing by 24.82% and the workforce expanding by 31.13% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Women constituted approximately 29% of total employment in the sector, slightly higher than in the same quarter of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2025.
Working owners accounted for 60.97% of total workers in the sector during January to March 2026, up from 58.29% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, while the share of hired workers declined marginally to 24.77% from 26.86% over the same period. Digital adoption continued to advance, with approximately 81% of establishments having used the internet for entrepreneurial purposes and approximately 81% having adopted cashless modes of transaction including online banking, UPI, POS devices and other digital payment mechanisms. The percentage of firms reporting some form of registration stood at 41.37%. The QBUSE represents the quarterly edition of ASUSE and has been published by NSO since 2025 to provide high-frequency indicators on one of India’s most significant economic segments. The full bulletin is available on the MoSPI website at mospi.gov.in.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)
