19/03/2026
On March 17, 2026, a massive nine-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, began hearing arguments to redefine a single, powerful word: “Industry”. The arguments have concluded today and the judgement has been reserved which means the Hon’ble Supreme Court shall ponder further on the arguments made by the the parties and pronounce the judgement at a later date.
For nearly 50 years, the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply case has been the ruling standard that established the “Triple Test”: if an organisation performs a systematic activity, through cooperation between employers and employees and produces goods or services, it’s an industry—even if it doesn’t make a profit. This broad view currently protects workers in hospitals, universities, and even charitable trusts under the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947.
But now, the government and various employers are pushing back. They argue the definition is “excessively wide” and causing confusion. The Attorney General of India, suggested using the 2020 Industrial Relations Code as a guide to narrow the scope, arguing that sovereign functions and social welfare schemes should be exempt from labour laws.
On the other side, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising delivered a powerful counter-argument questioning how a charitable institution can claim to serve the world while refusing to pay its own workers a fair wage. She argued that whether a worker is making laddus in a temple or cleaning a courtroom, their labour remains the same and deserves protection.
AIITEU shall track this case and take necessary steps to safeguard the interests of IT employees in the country at any cost.
