Noida factory hub stalls as workers reject wage hike offer
Thousands of workers in the industrial hub are protesting, rejecting a government promise to raise minimum wages by 21%, and demanding to be paid more as in neighbouring Haryana.
Noida wore a deserted look on Tuesday morning, a day after workers' protests demanding higher wages turned violent, with idle factory floors and police patrols replacing the usual shift-change bustle in one of Uttar Pradesh's largest industrial hubs.
As the day progressed, workers returned to the streets, protesting the state government’s proposal for a 21% increase in minimum wages for contract labourers, according to a copy of the letter seen by Mint. The proposal would increase the payouts to ₹13,690 for unskilled labour, ₹15,059 for partially skilled labour, and ₹16,868 for skilled labour.
According to a Noida police statement on Monday, about 45,000 workers in the industrial hub's eight major industrial sectors are on protest, demanding minimum pay on the lines of higher wages in neighbouring Haryana. On Tuesday, many units remained shut, including electronics manufacturers Lava and Dixon Technologies in Sector 63 and auto component maker Spark Minda in Sector 59.
In Sector 80, a protest outside Guru Amardass International Pvt. Ltd. turned violent within minutes, with stone-pelting damaging the factory’s facade and prompting arrests. Amit Tomar, station house officer of Sector 58 police station, told Mint “precautionary arrests” had been made.
“We’re rounding up any individual who is or has shown any tendency of public violence. The goal is to return all proceedings back to normal,” he said.
Nitin Gupta, cofounder and chief executive of recycling firm Attero Recycling, said the company had shut its corporate headquarters for the day due to the protests. “We didn’t get any formal notice from the police, but it is a precautionary closure after nearly 150 workers barged in yesterday demanding that our offices shut down,” he said.
However, two industry executives said the closures were partly in line with an advisory issued by the district magistrate. An official in district magistrate Medha Roopam’s office said the top official could not speak with Mint due to “prolonged meetings in light of the current situation.”
Though Mint could not determine a potential figure for losses that this disruption caused on Tuesday, several large companies, including auto component maker Motherson Sumi, electronics manufacturing services firm Dixon Technologies told the stock exchange that there were no major disruptions. Automaker Maruti Suzuki said the same in a press statement.
The ripple effects extended beyond factory gates. Rajinder, who runs a food stall outside a Dixon facility, and earns nearly ₹6,000 on peak weekdays, said. “I haven’t earned even ₹1,000 by afternoon."
Meanwhile, workers claimed that they remained the victims of the protest. Pramod Yadav, a 50-year-old factory worker at sector 80’s Kanta Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, said “our protest is genuine—we’re only asking for higher, fair wages and no union has called us here.”
Yadav, who also drives an auto-rickshaw, said he was present during Monday’s protests “until stone-pelting began and everything turned violent.”
Activists said the current working conditions were unacceptable as well. Ritika, a young worker who led a group of nearly 80 workers of Guru Amardass International on Tuesday, said, “We’re not politicised or unionised. We have been offered a hike … but that isn’t satisfactory—we’re looking for a minimum wage of ₹15,000 for unskilled workers and ₹20,000 for skilled workers, in line with what the Haryana government has offered.”
She said the group would continue protesting but denied involvement in vandalism.
“We work overtime, often with minimal breaks. Payments are delayed at least by 15 days. In fact, I’m yet to even receive my March salary,” said Vikrant, a maintenance worker from Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad at a factory unit in sector 80.
For long-time businesses in the region, the scale of unrest is unusual. “We have been here since 1991. There have been strikes and some peaceful movements over issues like wage hikes, but never have we seen or heard of such violence,” said R.S. Maurya, manager at Hindustan Refrigeration Stores.
Surendra Kumar Pandey, general secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the labour wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said in a statement that the current unrest reflects genuine concerns of workers. "Issues such as wage disparities within similar industrial clusters, rising cost of living, excessive contractualization, and lack of effective grievance redressal mechanisms have contributed to dissatisfaction. When these concerns are ignored or delayed, they inevitably manifest in unrest." Pandey added.
Hannan Mollah, leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and former member of Parliament, told Mint, “The working class is worried about their falling income in view of rising costs. Health costs are up, kitchen expenses are up, LPG prices are up too—and the situation is worsening now…Trade unionism is a part of democracy, and has to be acknowledged as a way of getting workers’ rights."
About the Authors
Krishna Yadav is a Senior Correspondent at Mint, based in New Delhi, and part of the corporate bureau. He joined the newsroom as a trainee in 2023 and quickly grew into his current role. He writes on legal and regulatory developments in corporate India, with a focus on insolvency, taxation, company law, and policy. His reporting includes tracking and breaking key legal stories from the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, NCLT, and NCLAT.<br><br>With a background in law, Krishna is known for simplifying complex legal developments into clear, accessible stories for readers. His work focuses on trends in corporate law and policy that affect businesses. This ranges from explaining tax disputes—like whether coconut hair oil is edible—to writing on why celebrities are seeking personal rights protection. He closely tracks India’s insolvency system, covering issues such as creditor losses, gaps in the process, and challenges in how the framework works in practice.<br><br>Krishna also tracks developments within law firms—covering hiring trends, how firms help companies navigate global challenges, and how the legal industry is adapting to artificial intelligence. Beyond legal reporting, he has written long-form pieces, including on-ground coverage of the 2024 general elections, capturing the scale and logistics of polling across India.<br><br>Outside work, he enjoys travelling, exploring new places, and reading about geopolitics and history.
Abhishek Law has spent 18 years in journalism, which in news industry terms means he has survived several newsroom restructurings, countless “urgent” press releases, and more cups of tea than he can reasonably count. Based in New Delhi, he covers aviation for Mint, a sector where aircraft, oil prices, geopolitics and airline CEOs regularly conspire to make his life interesting.<br><br>Most of his time gets occupied by translating airline jargon like ASKs, yields, load factors and fleet strategies into language that doesn’t require a pilot’s licence. His motto is simple: if readers need a glossary, he hasn’t done his job properly.<br><br>On most days, the quadragenarian is tracking airline strategies, policy changes and the occasional mid-air disruption that suddenly become a stock market story. When planes are behaving themselves (which is not very often nowadays), he strays into other corporate beats like steel, trying to figure out what’s really happening.<br><br>He loves to talk, especially ask—that one more question which people are uncomfortable with, and saving contacts in his phone as a "Source who may or may not pick up calls”. <br><br>But, on a serious note, the goal remains simple: cut through jargon, find that additional detail, and turn complicated business stories into something one can actually enjoy reading.
Shouvik has been tracking the rise and shifts of India’s technology ecosystem for over a decade, across print, broadcast and web-first platforms. He's been a tinkerer of machines and PCs since childhood, a habit he was thrilled to convert into his profession. This has led him to fascinating experiences of technologies around the world, which is what keeps him hooked to his job.<br><br>Shouvik likes to believe that he is one of the few technology journalists in India who can also code. He has also been writing about the rise of AI well before it became a household name, and has met some of the most fascinating people over the years through his work.<br><br>Shouvik writes about AI, Big Tech, data centres, electronics, semiconductors, cybersecurity, gaming, cryptocurrencies, and consumer technologies. He is most fond of the stories he has written during his time here at Mint, for which he also writes 'Transformer', a weekly technology newsletter, and hosts 'Techcetra', a weekly technology podcast.<br><br>Outside of work, Shouvik spends most of his time with Pixel, whom he believes is the world's best dog. He is also an avid reader, a toy collector, a gamer and a frequent traveller.
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