Tamil Nadu retains manufacturing lead with 41,221 factories in 2024–25

Tamil Nadu retains manufacturing lead with 41,221 factories in 2024–25

Tamil Nadu continued to hold a leading position in India’s manufacturing sector, with 41,221 registered factories recorded during 2024–25, according to the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) released on Wednesday.

The figure places Tamil Nadu ahead of Gujarat, which had 33,084 registered factories, and Maharashtra, with 27,379 units. The state also retained its position as the largest contributor to manufacturing employment in the country during the year.

The latest ASI data shows that Tamil Nadu accounted for 15.44 per cent of India’s total manufacturing establishments in 2024–25. The share was marginally higher than the 15.43 per cent recorded in 2023–24.

The state’s contribution to India’s manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) also increased during the year. Tamil Nadu accounted for 10.90 per cent of the country’s manufacturing GVA, compared with 10.26 per cent in the previous year. On this measure, the state ranked third among Indian states, behind Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Manufacturing employment remained another significant strength for Tamil Nadu. The state accounted for 14.99 per cent of total persons engaged in India’s manufacturing sector in 2024–25. Although this was slightly lower than the 15.24 per cent share recorded a year earlier, Tamil Nadu remained the largest state in terms of manufacturing employment.

Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana together accounted for more than 56 per cent of India’s total manufacturing employment during 2024–25, highlighting the concentration of industrial activity across these major manufacturing states.

The ASI also reported broad-based growth across the registered manufacturing sector during the year. Major indicators, including invested capital, inputs, output, GVA, employment and wages, increased compared with the previous year.

Five industries basic metals, motor vehicles, chemical products, pharmaceutical products and food products together contributed more than 45 per cent of India’s total manufacturing GVA during 2024–25.

For Tamil Nadu, the latest numbers underline the scale of its registered industrial base and its continuing role in India’s manufacturing economy. The ASI provides data on manufacturing output, value addition, employment, capital formation and other indicators, offering a broader picture of how the sector is evolving across states.