This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for the Garment, Tailoring and Readymade scheduled employment in Jammu and Kashmir, arranged by skill category and, where notified, by zone. Use it to check the exact rate that applies to a tailor, cutter, machine operator or finishing hand working in Jammu and Kashmir.
Minimum wage rates for Garment, Tailoring and Readymade in Jammu and Kashmir
| Category of worker | Per day | Per month (26 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | ₹311 | ₹8,086 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹400 | ₹10,400 |
| Skilled | ₹483 | ₹12,558 |
| Highly-skilled | ₹552 | ₹14,352 |
| Administrative / ministerial / accounts | ₹449 | ₹11,674 |
Rates effective 17 October 2022.
What counts as Garment, Tailoring and Readymade
The Garment, Tailoring and Readymade scheduled employment covers work involved in cutting, stitching, sewing, embroidery, finishing, pressing and packing of apparel, whether stitched to measure in tailoring shops or mass-produced as ready-made clothing in garment units. It takes in workers engaged in manufacturing, altering and finishing garments across export houses, factories and small stitching establishments.
- Ready-made garment manufacturing units and factories
- Apparel export houses and buying-house production units
- Tailoring and stitching shops
- Boutiques and made-to-measure ateliers
- Embroidery, thread-work and job-work units
- Hosiery and knitwear units
- Garment finishing, ironing and packing units
Typical roles and skill categories
- Cutting Master / Cutter
- Master Tailor / Tailor
- Sewing Machine Operator
- Overlock and Flatlock Operator
- Embroidery Machine Operator / Karigar
- Checker / Quality Inspector
- Ironing and Pressing Hand (Presser)
- Pattern Master / Sample Master
- Thread Cutter, Folder and Packer (Helper)
In this employment, unskilled work usually means helpers, thread cutters, folders and packers, while semi-skilled covers ironing hands, checkers and single-operation machine operators. Skilled roles typically include tailors, overlock and multi-operation machine operators and embroidery karigars, and highly-skilled covers cutting masters, pattern masters and sample masters who set the standard for the production line.
Who fixes this wage
Garment, Tailoring and Readymade is a notified scheduled employment for which the Jammu and Kashmir government fixes minimum wages by skill category, that is unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly-skilled, and often by geographic zone or area classification. Every covered establishment in Jammu and Kashmir must pay at least the rate notified for the worker's category and applicable zone.
How Jammu and Kashmir sets minimum wages
Jammu and Kashmir operates one statewide schedule without zonal divisions, setting rates for five categories of worker as both a daily amount and a monthly amount on a 26-day basis. Unlike states on a half-yearly cycle, its rates have stood since taking effect on 17 October 2022 and are not adjusted through a variable dearness allowance. Any change here comes through a fresh notification rather than automatic indexation.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Garment, Tailoring and Readymade in Jammu and Kashmir?
In Jammu and Kashmir, the minimum wage for Garment, Tailoring and Readymade currently runs from about ₹311 to ₹552 per day and ₹8086 to ₹14352 per month, depending on skill category and zone, effective 17 October 2022. The exact figure by category is in the table below. Confirm the exact rate for your worker's skill category and zone in the table above, and against the latest official notification.
Does the minimum wage cover both small tailoring shops and large garment factories in Jammu and Kashmir?
Yes. The notification applies to every establishment engaged in tailoring or ready-made garment work in Jammu and Kashmir, from a single-owner stitching shop to a large export-oriented garment factory, as long as workers are employed on the covered activities. The rate depends on the worker's skill category and the applicable zone, not on the size of the unit.
How is a sewing machine operator classified for minimum wage in Jammu and Kashmir?
Classification follows the nature of the operation and the skill required rather than the job title alone. A worker running a single, simple operation is often treated as semi-skilled, while an operator handling multiple operations, overlock, flatlock or assembly of a full garment is generally placed in the skilled category under the Jammu and Kashmir schedule.
Are piece-rate tailors and karigars entitled to the minimum wage in Jammu and Kashmir?
Workers paid on a piece-rate basis are still protected: their total earnings for the normal working period must not fall below the minimum wage notified for their skill category in Jammu and Kashmir. Employers should set piece rates so that an average worker meets or exceeds the applicable time-rate wage.
Never underpay in Jammu and Kashmir
ZeniaHR maps every worker to the correct minimum-wage notification by state, skill and zone, and flags anyone paid below it.
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