Factor Employment, Sources and Sustainability of Output Growth: Analysis of Indian Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in India is crucial for two main reasons: It has significant potential to provide modern employment to a growing labour force, especially that of less skilled type and second by its own healthy growth, stimulate and provide a foundation for, organic growth in other sectors of the economy. On both these counts, however, the manufacturing sector has so far not performed to its potential. In an attempt to identify the factors responsible for this phenomenon, the present study examines in detail the main determinants of factor employment, their shares, and output growth. The framework used is a CES production function estimated using ASI time-series data for the organised manufacturing industry spanning a period from 1973/74 to 2001/02. The study also dwells on the subject of sustainability of high growth in output on the back of raising capital labour ratio. [Working Paper No.3 /2009-DEA].