Hyderabad: Hyderabad small businesses ranked among India’s strongest performers in enterprise growth, employment and productivity, according to two reports released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The findings are based on the 2025 labour market and enterprise surveys covering 46 cities with populations exceeding one million.
The reports identified Greater Hyderabad as one of the country’s largest hubs for unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises. Along with Kolkata and Surat, the city accounted for more than 22 per cent of such establishments across million-plus cities.
Hyderabad also featured among the top three cities, along with Delhi and Kolkata, in employment generated by the unincorporated sector. Together, the three cities accounted for nearly 22 per cent of the workforce employed in these enterprises.
Hyderabad small businesses drive productivity and jobs
The NSO reports placed Greater Hyderabad among India’s most productive urban centres. Along with Pimpri Chinchwad and Delhi, the city recorded the highest Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker among million-plus cities.
Hyderabad also ranked among the top three cities for GVA per establishment, alongside Faridabad and Pimpri Chinchwad. In addition, more than 40 per cent of establishments in Hyderabad, Srinagar and Delhi employed at least one regular hired worker, reflecting stronger employment generation than many other major cities.
The reports also highlighted improving labour market indicators across million-plus cities between 2017-18 and 2025. Labour force participation increased from 47.7 per cent to 52.4 per cent, while the unemployment rate declined from 7.9 per cent to 4.9 per cent. Female labour force participation also rose from 19.8 per cent to 27.2 per cent.
According to the surveys, workers in million-plus cities earned higher average incomes. Self-employed persons earned an average of ₹30,858 per month. Regular salaried employees earned ₹28,808 per month, while casual workers earned ₹624 per day.