This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers in the Sugar Industry in Maharashtra, set out by skill category. Use the rate table below to check the wage that applies to a specific role in a Maharashtra sugar mill or allied unit.
Minimum wage rates for Sugar Industry in Maharashtra
| Category | Basic | Special allow. | Total (Zone I) | Total (Zone II) | Total (Zone III) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Un-skilled | ₹10,021 | ₹3,900 | ₹13,921 | ₹13,325 | ₹12,728 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹10,856 | ₹3,900 | ₹14,756 | ₹14,160 | ₹13,564 |
| Skilled | ₹11,632 | ₹3,900 | ₹15,532 | ₹14,936 | ₹14,340 |
Rates effective 1 January to 30 June 2026.
What counts as Sugar Industry
The Sugar Industry scheduled employment covers the manufacture of sugar from sugarcane, including cane weighment and crushing, juice extraction and clarification, boiling, crystallization, centrifuging and packing, together with allied operations such as molasses and bagasse handling and, where notified, attached distilling and bagasse-based power generation.
- Sugar mills and sugar factories that crush cane and manufacture crystal sugar
- Khandsari and jaggery (gur) manufacturing units
- Sugar refineries producing refined and graded sugar
- Distilleries attached to sugar factories that process molasses into ethanol or alcohol
- Bagasse-based co-generation power plants within sugar complexes
- Cane collection, weighment and yard centres that feed the mill
Typical roles and skill categories
- Cane yard and cane carrier worker
- Boiler operator and boiler attendant
- Pan boiler (pan man)
- Centrifugal machine operator
- Sugar bagging, weighment and packing worker
- Mill fitter and machinery mechanic
- Sugar house chemist and laboratory assistant
- Turbine and co-generation plant operator
- Field cane development supervisor
In the Sugar Industry, unskilled roles typically cover cane unloading, bagasse handling and general helpers, semi-skilled roles cover centrifugal operators, weighment clerks and packing attendants, skilled roles cover pan boilers, boiler operators, fitters and electricians, and highly-skilled roles cover process chemists, turbine or co-generation operators and distillery process staff.
Who fixes this wage
The Sugar Industry is a notified scheduled employment for which the Maharashtra government fixes minimum wages by skill category, and often by zone, under the applicable minimum wages law. The rates are revised periodically by the Maharashtra labour department and apply to all covered establishments engaged in this employment.
How Maharashtra sets minimum wages
Maharashtra sets minimum wages under its Shops and Commercial Establishments schedule by building each rate from a basic component and a special allowance, then totalling the two across three zones. Rates are given for three categories, and the totals shown apply from 1 January to 30 June 2026, with a revised special allowance taking effect from 1 July 2026. This basic-plus-allowance method is how the state keeps wages current rather than a single consolidated figure.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Sugar Industry in Maharashtra?
In Maharashtra, the minimum wage for Sugar Industry currently runs from about ₹3900 to ₹15532 per month, depending on skill category and zone, effective 1 January to 30 June 2026. 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.
Do the Sugar Industry minimum wages in Maharashtra apply to seasonal crushing-season workers as well as year-round staff?
Yes, the notified minimum wage for the Sugar Industry in Maharashtra applies to workers engaged in the employment whether they are hired only for the crushing season or retained through the year, with the wage set by each worker's skill category as shown in the rate table on this page.
Are workers in an attached distillery or a bagasse-based co-generation plant covered by the Sugar Industry minimum wage?
It depends on how the Maharashtra notification defines the scope of the Sugar Industry scheduled employment and whether the distillery or co-generation unit is treated as part of the sugar factory or as a separate scheduled employment, so check the scope of the notification alongside the rate table shown here.
How is the minimum wage decided for a sugar factory located in a rural area of Maharashtra?
The Maharashtra government commonly fixes minimum wages by zone, such as different area or municipal classifications, in addition to skill category, so a sugar factory's applicable rate can vary with its location; the rate table on this page reflects the current applicable figures for each category.
Never underpay in Maharashtra
ZeniaHR maps every worker to the correct minimum-wage notification by state, skill and zone, and flags anyone paid below it.
Book a demo