MoSPI Reveals Wide Digital Divide, Robust Growth in Unincorporated Sector (ASUSE 2023-2024), and Unpaid Labour Burden (Time Use in India, 2024)
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 5: Gender Equality
Institutions: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) | Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
The combined Sarvekshana, 118th & 119th Issue (March 2025 & September 2025), a journal of the National Statistics Office (NSO), synthesizes data on three crucial policy areas for India: the digital divide, the informal economy’s recovery, and the allocation of citizens’ time.
1. Digital Divide and ICT Skills: The journal features a study highlighting Inequality in Attainment of ICT Skills across social groups. It finds that insufficient access to digital skills is a major barrier to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to job-oriented skills. To bridge this gap, comprehensive policy interventions and substantial infrastructural support are required to integrate ICT skill training into the curriculum of government-run and government-aided schools in rural areas.
2. The Unincorporated Sector (ASUSE 2023-2024): The highlights from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2023-2024 show robust economic resurgence in the informal, non-agricultural sector.
Establishment & Employment Growth: The total number of unincorporated establishments grew significantly by 12.84%, reaching 7.34 crore (73.4 million). This sector employed more than 12 crore (120 million) workers.
Productivity and Wages: Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker—a measure of labour productivity—rose by 5.62%. The average emolument per hired worker increased by 13%.
Gender Inclusivity: The percentage of female-owned proprietary establishments increased from 22.9% to 26.2%, indicating a positive trend in women’s entrepreneurship.
Digital Adoption: Internet usage among establishments grew from 21.1% to 26.7%, reflecting a strong trend toward digital adoption in business operations.
3. Time Use and Unpaid Care (Time Use in India, 2024): Highlights from the Time Use in India, 2024 Survey revealed stark gender disparities in the workforce and household labour.
Gender Gap in Paid Work: Only 24.9% of females aged 15-59 participated in paid employment activities, compared to 74.5% of males in the same age group. Males spent an average of 421 minutes daily on paid activities, while females spent 305 minutes.
Unpaid Labour: The survey highlights the significant burden of unpaid domestic services and unpaid caregiving services for household members, which is typically borne by women.
The integration of this rich, granular data compels a multi-ministerial policy response. The robust growth of the unincorporated sector demonstrates that targeted support and credit access (as indicated by the rise in loans) is paying dividends, but the accompanying digital skills analysis indicates that growth is currently being hampered by an “ICT skills ceiling”. Furthermore, the Time Use data underscores that achieving true gender equality in the formal workforce (SDG 5) requires national policies that recognize, redistribute, and compensate for the massive contribution of women’s unpaid care work.
What are ICT Skills in this context?→ ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Skills are the capabilities required for effective utilization of digital technologies, such as computer literacy, internet banking, and the ability to use digital platforms. In the context of the report, these skills are fundamental to navigating the increasingly digital economy and accessing various government initiatives like DBT schemes, UPI payments, and e-Office.
Follow the full update here: Sarvekshana-118th&119th_Issue.pdf