The Maharashtra cabinet has approved amendments to extend working hours for private sector employees, a labour reform move that brings the state into line with several others that have already raised limits.
According to the Economic Times, the decision will raise the daily cap on working hours in factories from nine to 12, with mandatory rest breaks after six hours instead of five. For shops and establishments, the maximum will rise from nine to 10 hours a day.
The government said the changes were aimed at boosting ease of doing business, attracting investment and creating jobs, while ensuring workers receive enhanced protections including overtime pay at double the standard wage.
The cabinet decision involves amendments to two key pieces of legislation: the Factories Act, 1948, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017.
Under the amended Factories Act provisions, legal overtime limits will increase from 115 to 144 hours per quarter. Written consent from employees will be mandatory before overtime is assigned. Weekly hours will rise from 10.5 to 12.
In the case of shops and establishments employing 20 or more workers, the maximum overtime cap will also be raised to 144 hours per quarter, while emergency duty hours will extend to 12. Businesses with fewer than 20 workers will no longer need to obtain registration certificates, but will be required to notify authorities via a simplified intimation process.
Maharashtra’s move follows similar reforms in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura. Analysts told the Business Standard that state governments have been revising labour laws to offer greater operational flexibility to companies, particularly in manufacturing and services, while also attempting to address long-standing worker concerns on wages and safety.
By extending daily and weekly working hour limits, state officials argue that industries will be able to manage seasonal demand peaks and labour shortages without disruptions.
The state’s Labour Department, which tabled the proposal, said the amendments were designed to create a more flexible and inclusive work environment. Officials added that reforms would benefit women workers by providing clearer legal frameworks for extended hours, and by ensuring overtime protections are codified.
“Change is necessary to improve Maharashtra’s investment climate and competitiveness,” a government spokesperson said. “The reforms are about balancing business needs with wage protection and worker rights.”
The cabinet stressed that the new provisions would not dilute safety standards. Instead, the reforms were pitched as a way to ensure that extended hours come with guaranteed overtime pay and written employee consent, strengthening safeguards compared with informal practices already common in some industries.