Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 that his government has revised minimum wages for workers across the state by an average of 60 per cent, covering more than 83 scheduled employments spanning sectors from e-commerce and private hospitals to petrol pumps and religious institutions.

Context

Posting in Kannada, Siddaramaiah said the revision honours a longstanding worker demand: 'ಕನಿಷ್ಟ ವೇತನ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರ ಬೇಡಿಕೆಗೆ ಮನ್ನಣೆ ನೀಡಿ' ['Honouring the workers' demand to increase minimum wages']. The announcement comes under the banner of his government's #GuaranteeSarkara programme, which has framed labour welfare as a central pillar since the Congress returned to power in Karnataka in May 2023.

The beneficiaries include workers in e-commerce, courier services, non-teaching staff in private schools and colleges, hospitals, hotels, food processing units, petrol bunks, private finance firms, and staff at religious institutions — a cross-section of the informal and semi-formal workforce that has historically struggled to secure wage protections.

Policy Backdrop

Minimum wage revisions in India are governed by the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, which empowers state governments to fix and periodically revise wages for scheduled employments. The Code on Wages, 2019 further consolidated central labour law provisions, but implementation timelines at the state level vary significantly.

A notable structural change accompanies the wage hike: the earlier framework of four wage zones has been replaced with three zones. Zone 1 covers areas under Greater Bengaluru, reflecting higher urban living costs. Zone 2 covers district headquarters, and Zone 3 covers all remaining areas of the state. This rationalisation mirrors reforms undertaken in states such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, where urbanisation patterns prompted similar zone consolidations.

Stakeholders and Impact

Under the revised structure, unskilled workers in Zone 3 — the lowest-cost areas — will receive a maximum of ₹19,300 per month, while skilled workers in the same zone can earn up to ₹31,100 per month. Rates in Zone 1 (Greater Bengaluru) are set higher to account for the city's elevated cost of living, though the Chief Minister did not specify those figures in the post.

The revision directly affects workers across more than 83 scheduled employment categories. For the large gig and service-sector workforce concentrated in Bengaluru — including e-commerce delivery personnel and private healthcare staff — the Zone 1 rates will be particularly consequential. Private sector employers across these categories will be legally required to align payroll with the revised slabs once the official gazette notification is issued.

What's Next

The revision will take effect upon publication of the official gazette notification, and industry bodies are expected to engage with the state Labour Department on implementation timelines and sector-specific clarifications. The Karnataka government's move will also serve as a reference point in ongoing national conversations about raising the central floor wage. Siddaramaiah closed his post with a commitment to the working class: 'ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಗಲು-ರಾತ್ರಿಯೆನ್ನದೆ ಶ್ರಮಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕ ವರ್ಗದ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ನಾವು ಬದ್ಧರಿದ್ದೇವೆ' ['We are committed to the welfare of the working class who toil day and night in nation-building'] — signalling that labour welfare will remain a defining theme of his administration ahead of future electoral cycles.