India has no single minimum wage. The national floor rose from ₹35 a day in 1996 to ₹176 in 2017, then stalled. Prices rose about 5.7 times from 1996 to 2025,…
Governments gained power to fix and review minimum wages in low-paid scheduled jobs. There was no single national wage.
Need-based norms: 2,700 calories per adult, 3 consumption units per earner, cloth, rent, and 20% for fuel and other items.
Part of the minimum wage now moves with the CPI for Industrial Workers. Central rates change every April and October.
A non-binding benchmark of ₹35 a day, meant to stop states setting wages too low. It rose to ₹45 by 1999.
The jump from ₹50 to ₹66 lifted the floor well above its 1996 buying power for the first time.
The last regular revision. A ₹2 rise to ₹178 was announced in 2019. By 2025 the floor was worth about ₹31 in 1996 rupees.
The government's expert committee said ₹375 a day at 2018 prices. The Code on Wages got assent on 8 August 2019.
Minimum wages became a statutory right for all employees. A national floor wage is due, but no figure yet.
The Central-sphere rate for unskilled farm work in Area A: ₹333 basic plus ₹195 VDA. Area C is ₹478. It is not India's minimum wage.
About 11.4 kg of rice or 4.2 kg of tur dal at September 2026 averages. Food inflation hit 5.95% in August.
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