Supreme Court nine-judge bench hears ‘industry’ definition case
The Supreme Court of India’s nine-judge bench is currently hearing a landmark case on the definition of “industry” under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. This hearing began on March 17, 2026, as scheduled, addressing long-standing debates over the term’s scope.
The case reexamines the expansive “triple test” from the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa judgment, which defined industry through systematic activity, employer-employee cooperation, and production/distribution of goods/services to meet human needs—without requiring a profit motive. Conflicts arose in later rulings, leading a five-judge bench in 2005 (State of UP v. Jai Bir Singh) and a seven-judge bench in 2017 to refer it to nine judges due to its wide implications for labor laws.
Key Questions
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Does the Bangalore Water Supply test correctly define “industry,” including government welfare schemes or non-profits like hospitals and universities?
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Do the unnotified 1982 Industrial Disputes Amendment Act and the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (effective November 2025), impact the interpretation?
Led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, with Justices B.V. Nagarathna, P.S. Narasimha, Dipankar Datta, Ujjal Bhuyan, Satish Chandra Sharma, Joymalya Bagchi, Alok Aradhe, and Vipul M. Pancholi.
Hearings started March 17 and were set to continue or conclude on March 18, 2026; no judgment has been reported as of March 18 morning. The outcome could reshape labor protections for millions across sectors.
