The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved amendments to labor laws that will increase the daily working hours from 9 to 10 hours in private establishments. This decision, announced on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, aligns Maharashtra with states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Tripura, which have already implemented similar reforms.

The amendments will affect the Factories Act, 1948, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017. The primary goal is to enable industries to maintain smooth operations during peak demand or labor shortages while ensuring that workers receive appropriate overtime compensation.

Under the revised regulations, daily working hours in factories will increase from nine to twelve, with rest breaks mandated after six hours of work instead of five. The permissible overtime limit will also be raised from 115 to 144 hours per quarter, subject to the employee's written consent. Additionally, weekly work hours are set to expand from 10.5 to 12.

For shops and establishments, the changes include increasing daily working hours from nine to ten, raising overtime limits from 125 to 144 hours, and extending emergency duty shifts to 12 hours. These rules will apply to establishments employing 20 or more workers. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be exempt from registration certificates but will still be required to notify authorities through a simplified process.

In addition to extending the workday, the amendments include a proposal that employees working more than six hours at a stretch must be given a half-hour break. Currently, the maximum continuous working period allowed is five hours. The government has emphasized that these changes aim to promote ease of doing business, attract investment, generate employment, and protect workers' rights, including double pay for overtime.

The labor department has stated that the amendments will create a more supportive work environment, particularly for women, while addressing long-standing concerns from both employees and employers. Labour Minister Akash Fundkar has stated that the proposed changes are being studied to bring flexibility to workplaces and align state labor laws with international practices. The government believes that these changes will boost the state's economy and provide more flexibility for industries to operate efficiently.