NSO Ranks Hyderabad Among India’s Top Biz, Jobs Hubs

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad has emerged as a leading urban centre for small businesses, employment generation and productivity, according to two National Statistics Office (NSO) reports released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) based on 2025 labour market and enterprise surveys.

The reports, covering 46 cities with populations above one million, identified Greater Hyderabad among the largest hubs for unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises. Along with Kolkata and Surat, the city accounted for over 22 per cent of such establishments across million-plus cities.

Hyderabad also ranked among the top three cities, along with Delhi and Kolkata, in terms of employment generated by the unincorporated sector, with the three together accounting for around 22 per cent of the workforce in these enterprises.

The NSO findings placed Greater Hyderabad among the most productive urban centres. Along with Pimpri Chinchwad and Delhi, it recorded the highest Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker among million-plus cities. The city also featured among the top three for GVA per establishment, alongside Faridabad and Pimpri Chinchwad.

The report noted that more than 40 per cent of establishments in Hyderabad, Srinagar and Delhi employed at least one hired worker on a regular basis, indicating higher employment generation compared with several other cities.

At the national level, the reports showed improvement in labour market indicators across million-plus cities. Labour force participation rose from 47.7 per cent in 2017-18 to 52.4 per cent in 2025, while unemployment declined from 7.9 per cent to 4.9 per cent. Female labour force participation increased from 19.8 per cent to 27.2 per cent during the period.

The surveys also found that workers in million-plus cities earned higher average incomes, with self-employed persons earning Rs 30,858 per month, regular salaried employees Rs 28,808 per month and casual workers Rs 624 per day.