Services now make up 55% of India’s GVA and employ 188 million. But behind the boom lies a story of uneven progress
Post-Covid, services added 40 million jobs. Yet, high-value sectors thrive while traditional ones lose job intensity
Modern services are high-productivity but capital-heavy. Traditional ones employ many but stay low-value and informal
Only 10.5% of rural women work in services, earning less than half of men’s wages. Parity exists only in select fields
Southern states lead in modern services. Northern and eastern states remain tied to low-productivity trade and retail
Formalising service jobs, skilling women and gig workers, and expanding to smaller cities can make growth more equal