The Government of Odisha has released an important notification revising minimum wages for all 91 scheduled employments with effect from 1 October 2025.
This revision follows earlier wage notifications from July and August 2024 and is based on recommendations of the State Minimum Wages Advisory Board. The most significant update in this cycle is that there will be no change to the Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) for any category of workers beginning 1 October 2025.
Why There Is No Change in VDA This Time
The State Minimum Wages Advisory Board earlier recommended revising VDA at the rate of ₹2.60 per point rise in the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI-IW), Base 2016=100, with updates scheduled twice a year—on 1 April and 1 October.
However, the CPI-IW increased only from 143.55 to 143.58, a rise of just 0.03 points in the relevant half-year period. After rounding off, this minimal rise does not translate into any increase in VDA.
Thus, the Labour Commissioner, Sri Indramani Tripathy, IAS, has confirmed that the VDA will remain unchanged for all categories of workers in the 91 scheduled employments.
Revised Minimum Wages Effective 1 October 2025
As VDA remains unchanged, the minimum wages per day (including VDA) for each category of worker remain the same as those effective from 1 April 2025:
| Category of Employee | VDA per Day (w.e.f. 01.10.2025) | Minimum Wage with VDA per Day |
| Unskilled | Nil | ₹ 462 |
| Semi-skilled | Nil | ₹ 512 |
| Skilled | Nil | ₹ 562 |
| Highly Skilled | Nil | ₹ 612 |
These rates continue to apply uniformly across all 91 scheduled employments in the state.
Scheduled Employments Covered (Full List of 91 Sectors)
The wage revision applies to all the following scheduled industries and occupations:
- Agriculture
- Agarbati and Candle Making Establishments
- Automobile Servicing, Repairing Garages and Workshops
- Ayurvedic and Unani Pharmacy
- Bakeries and Confectioneries including Biscuit Making
- Bamboo Forest Establishment
- Brass and Bell Metal Industry
- Carpet Weaving Industry
- Cashew Processing Establishments
- Cement Pipe Making and Allied Products Industry
- Ceramic and Pottery Industry
- Chemical Industry
- Cinema Industry and Film Production
- Clay Pottery
- Coir Industry
- Collection of Sal Seeds
- Construction or Maintenance of Dams, Embankments, Irrigation Projects, Sinking of Wells and Tanks
- Construction or Maintenance of Roads and Building Operations
- Contingent and Casual Employees in Government and Other Establishments
- Courier and Cargo Services
- Cotton Ginning and Pressing Industry
- Dispensary of Medical Practitioner including all Private Clinics, Laboratories, Nursing Homes, Medical Colleges, Super Specialty Hospitals
- Distilleries
- Domestic Workers (wages calculated per hours of work)
- Electricity Transmission, Generation and Distribution
- Employment in NGOs & Voluntary Social Organizations
- Laying of Underground Cables, Water Lines, Electrical Lines and Cable Operators
- Finishing, Dyeing, Painting, Knitting and Embroidery
- Forest Produce such as Genduli-Gum, Mahua, Making of Coal and Resin
- Foundry Industry
- Glass Industries
- Gold & Silver Ornaments and Artistic Design Work
- Graphite Industry including Beneficiation
- Handloom and Hosiery
- Hotels, Eating Houses and Restaurants
- Ice Factories and Cold Storages
- Jute Industry and Jute Twine Industry
- Kendu Leaf Collection
- Khadi Village Industries including Khandasari
- Laundry and Dry Washing
- Leather Industry
- LPG Manufacturing and Distribution
- Local Authority
- Manufacture of Brushes and Brooms
- Manufacture of Coke and Burning Coal
- Manufacture of Cold Drinks, Soda, etc.
- Manufacture of Electrical Bulbs and Allied Equipment
- Matches, Fireworks and Explosives
- Manufacture of Nails and Pins
- Manufacture of Paints and Varnishes
- Manufacture of Plastic Products (including Toys)
- Radio Manufacturing and Assembly
- Ropes Manufacturing
- Utensils Manufacturing including Aluminium & Hindalium
- Metal Industry (excluding cottage & village units)
- Engineering Industries including Sponge, Secondary Steel, Rolling Mills, Ferro Alloys (employment <50 persons)
- Motor Body Building
- Non-teaching Staff of Private Educational Institutions, ITIs & Training Centres
- Oil Mills
- Paper & Cardboard Industry
- Petrol & Diesel Pumps
- Pharmaceutical Industry
- Powerloom Industry
- Printing Press, DTP & Offset Printing
- Private Road Transport
- Private Security Agencies
- Public Health Engineering
- Public Motor Transport
- Readymade Garments, Mechanised Garment Trade
- Refractory Industry
- Regulated Markets, Co-op Societies, Banks
- Rice, Flour, Dal, Chuda and Masala Mills
- Rubber & Rubber Products
- Salt Pans
- Saw Mills
- Shops & Commercial Establishments including Saloons, Beauty Parlours, Spas, Massage Centres, Xerox, STD Booths, Tent Houses, Newspapers
- Siali Leaf & Sal Leaf Pluckers
- Soap & Detergent Manufacturing
- Social Forestry
- Spinning Mills
- Stone Breaking & Stone Crushing
- Tamarind Collection
- Tile & Brick Making
- Timber Trading (excluding felling & sawing)
- Timber Trading (including felling & sawing)
- Tobacco & Bidi Manufacturing
- Trunks, Suitcases and Bucket Manufacturing
- Woodworks & Furniture Making
- Minor Ports
- Sericulture Activities
- Swachha Karmi
What This Means for Workers and Employers
- Wages remain unchanged for the October 2025 cycle due to negligible CPI-IW movement.
- Employers in all 91 listed sectors must continue paying the same minimum rates as earlier fixed in April 2025.
- The next half-yearly review will take place on 1 April 2026, following the advisory board’s formula.