Informality Patterns in Alang Ship Breaking Industry

Abstract

A large proportion of the labour force in the Indian economy is employed in the informal
sector. Almost all employment in agriculture and allied activities are part of the informal
sector. A large proportion of urban activities too are classified under the informal sector.
This paper tries to evaluate the existence of informality in the Alang ship breaking
industry by juxtaposing it against the declared formality of the sector. The article also
found that informal patterns of employment can continue, if not grow within a formal
sector. Both primary and secondary data were collected through a questionnaire survey
and interviews. The findings reveal that while there is a strong presence of informality
in the ship breaking industry in Alang, various administrative aspects of the industry
remain formalised.

DOI: 10.32444/IJSW.2021.82.1.99-114

Author: Hrudanand Misra is Professor, Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad.