Karnataka hikes minimum wages 60%; Bengaluru retail, QSR, warehousing face cost shock
State notification lifts Bengaluru's unskilled wage floor to ₹23,376/month and skilled to ₹31,114, unifying 81 scheduled employments with a ₹1,030 VDA. Retailers, mall operators, QSR chains and warehousing players in the city now face an immediate step-up in labour costs with limited room to pass through.
Karnataka notified a 60% minimum wage hike, raising Bengaluru's unskilled worker floor to ₹23,376 and skilled to ₹31,114 monthly, unifying 81 scheduled employments. Retailers, QSR, malls and warehousing operators in Bengaluru face higher labour costs.
Why this matters
Karnataka's wage overhaul lands as Bengaluru remains a top retail, QSR and logistics hub. The ~60% jump and unification of 81 employments mark one of India's sharpest minimum wage resets in recent years.
Retail-company signals steady at 1,038 in last 90 days, with cost-side pressures increasingly dominant.