Frame policies to enable industry grow bigger: Panagariya

Shifting workers form agriculture is required since underemployment is the biggest challenge

Calling underemployment as probably the biggest economic challenge faced by the country, Niti Aayog vice-chairman called for devising strategies to make small enterprises larger and to shift labour from agriculture to industry.

Giving a presentation at a meeting of the chief secretaries of states, Panagariya said spending on social priorities such as education, health and infrastructure can be raised only by enhancing economic growth.

He said according to the sixth economic census, only 20.8 million out of a total of 470 million workers were employed in enterprises with 10 or more workers.

"Therefore, as many as 442 million workers or 91.2 per cent