Karnataka sets highest Minimum Wages in the Country

The Karnataka Labour Department headed by Labour Minister Santhosh Lad issued a notification on 22^nd May, 2026, hiking the minimum wage for various types of employment. This includes new employments category as well which are being brought under the ambit of the minimum wage for the first time. With Rs 21,251 per month at the lowest end and Rs 34,225 per month at the other end, of all scheduled employments, Karnataka has set the minimum wage in the country. Below table shows the steep increase for employees employed under Shops & Establishment:

In one hand, Mr. Sathyanand M, Karnataka State Secretary for the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), India’s oldest trade union affiliated to the Communist Party of India (CPI), welcomed the State government’s wage revision. But, in the other hand, the wage hike has triggered protests from the Karnataka Employers’ Association and other industry bodies who say that the revision will adversely affect them.