The manufacturing sector has always
remained a sector of concern for
India. Its sticky growth and low
employment elasticity have challenged
policymakers since the early 1950s. The
sector’s decadal average growth rate has
remained less than 6% since the 1950s
and up to the 1990s. While the sector
experienced a rise in its average growth
rate to 8% in the fi rst decade of 21st
century, its performance since then has
been worsening with its growth rates
declining from 6.6% (second revised estimate)
in 2011-12 to 1.1% (fi rst revised
estimate) in 2012-13 and –0.7% (provisional
estimate) in 2013-14.