Skip to main content

Does Energy Intensity Affect Labour Productivity in Indian Firms? Preliminary Estimates

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Energy Security and Development

Abstract

Micro, small and medium enterprises are viewed as engines of economic growth in India. The present study examines if energy is an important factor in productivity of firms using energy intensity as a measure of efficiency. Using firm-level data from 5760 micro, small, medium and large enterprises for 2007–2008, the study estimates the relationship among labour productivity, energy intensity, capital intensity, age and size of the firm. The results show that significant differences in energy efficiency exist among micro, small, medium and large enterprises, and highlight the scope for improving energy efficiency to improve productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Further Readings

  • Acs ZJ, Audretsch DB (1988) Innovation in large and small firms: an empirical analysis. Am Econ Rev 78(4):678–690

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrew W (1999). Energy efficiency and conservatism. Issues in environmental science and technology. R Soc Chem (11)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bala Subrahmanya MH (2006a) Energy intensity and economic performance in small scale bricks and foundry clusters in India: does energy intensity matter? Energy Policy 34:489–497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bala Subrahmanya MH (2006b) Labour productivity, energy intensity and economic performance in small enterprises: a study of brick enterprises cluster in India. Energy Convers Manag 47:763–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bala Subrahmanya MH (2007) Industry features and energy efficiency in Indian small enterprises—a case study of auto ancillaries and brick makers. Energy Sect Manag 2:160–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balachandra P, Ravindranath D, Ravindranath NH (2009) Energy efficiency in India: assessing the policy regimes and their impacts. Energy Policy 38(2010):6428–6438

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke S, Gaughran WF (2006) Developing a framework for sustainability management in engineering SME’s. Energy Policy 34:696–700

    Google Scholar 

  • Dargay JM (1983) The demand for energy in Swedish manufacturing Industries. Scand J Econ 85(1):37–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeCanio SJ (1998) The efficiency paradox: bureaucratic and organizational barriers to profitable energy-saving investments. Energy Policy 26(5):441–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 11th Five Year Plan (2007–2012) Planning Commission, Government of India

    Google Scholar 

  • Foss NJ, Knudsen S (1996) Towards a competence theory of a firm. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghatak S (2010) MSMEs in India: an appraisal. http://www.legalpundits.com/ Content_folder/SMEArti150610.pdf

  • Goldar B (2004) Productivity trends in Indian manufacturing in the pre- and post-reform period, Working Paper No. 137, ICRIER, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldar B (2010) Energy intensity of Indian manufacturing firms: effect of energy prices, technology and firm characteristics. Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldemberg J, Johansson BT, Reddy AKN, Williams RH (1994) Energy efficiency from the perspective of developing countries. Energy for Sust Dev 1(2):28–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry B (2011) The impact of Small and Medium Enterprises on Employment Creation. College of Business and Management Sciences, Case Study: Ndeeba trading centre of Rubaga Division,Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirst E, Brown M (1990) Closing the efficiency gap: barriers to the efficient use of energy. Resour Conserv Recycling 3(4):267–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horace H (2006) Energy efficiency—a critical view. Energy 31:10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Energy Agency (IEA) (2007a) World Energy Outlook 2007 highlights. http://www.iea.org/statistics/July and August 2011

  • International energy Agency (IEA) (2007b) Key World Energy Statistics, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  • International Energy Agency (IEA) (2009) Key World Energy Statistics, 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • International Energy Outlook (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston J, Dinardo J (1997) Econometric methods, 4th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Little IMD, Mazumdar KD, John M, Page JM (1987) Small manufacturing enterprises—a comparative analysis of India and other economies. A World Bank Research Publication

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of MSMEs (2006–2007) Quick Results, Fourth All India Census of MSMEs, Ministry of MSMEs, Government of India

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) (2008–2009), Annual Report 2008–2009, Government of India, New Delhi (earlier to 2006 it was known as Small Scale Industries)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Small Scale Industries (Mossi), Annual Report (2003–2004), GOI, Udyog Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee K (2008). Energy use efficiency in U.S. manufacturing: a non-parametric analysis. Energy Econ 30:76–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagesh N (2008) Role of energy efficiency in sustainable development of small-scale industry clusters: an empirical study. Energy Sust Dev 3:34–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagesh N, Balachandra P (2006) Barriers to energy efficiency in small industry clusters: multi-criteria based prioritization using the analytic hierarchy process. Energy 31:1633–1647

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimenova, P, van der Vorst Rita (2004) The role of support programmes and policies in improving SME’s environmental performance in developed and transition economics. Clean Prod 12:549–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, Michael E (1998) Clusters and the new economics of competition. Harv Bus Rev 76(6)

    Google Scholar 

  • Prowess Data Base, CMIE (August 2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy AKN (1991) Barriers to improvements in energy efficiency. Energy Policy 19(10):953–961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy BS, Balachandra P (2003) Integrated energy-environment-policy analysis—a case study of India. Utilities Policy 11:59–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy BS, Painuly JP (2004) Diffusion of renewable energy technologies—barriers and stake holders’ perspective. Renew Energy 29(9):1471–1447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfeld SA (1997) Bringing business clusters into the mainstream of economic development. Eur Plan Stud 5(1):3–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagar A, Bob Z Van der. (2006), Technological Innovation in energy sector: R & D, deployment, and learning-by-doing. Energy Policy 34:2601–2608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahu KS, Narayanan K (2010) Determinants of energy intensity in Indian manufacturing industries: a cross sectional study. Electr India 61:108–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahu KS, Narayanan K (2011) Total factor productivity and energy intensity in indian manufacturing: a cross-sectional study. Energy Econ Policy 1(2):47–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Sashidharan S, Kathuria V (2011) Foreign direct investment and R & D: substitutes or Compliments—a case of Indian manufacturing after 1991 reforms. World Dev. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitz H, Nadvi K (1999) Clustering and industrialization: Introduction. World Dev 27(9):1503–1514

    Google Scholar 

  • Sethi G, Pal P (2004) Energy efficiency in small scale industries—an Indian perspective. Tata Energy Research Institute

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi H, Peng SZ, Liu Y, Zhong P (2008) Barriers to the implementation of cleaner production in Chinese SME’s: government, industry and expert stakeholder’s perspectives. Clean Prod 16:842–852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorrel S, Malley E, Schleich J, Scott S (2004) The economics of energy efficiency, barriers to cost effective investment. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern PC (1999) Information incentives and pro environmental consumer behaviour. Consumer Policy 22(4):461–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern PC, Aronson E (1986) The effectiveness of incentives for residential energy conservation. SAGE 10:147–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Thollander P, Danestig M, Rohdin P (2007) Energy policies for increased industries efficiency: evaluation of a local energy programme for manufacturing SME’s. Energy Policy 35:5774–5783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uma K (2009–2010) India’s economic development since 1947, 4th edn. Academic Foundation, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP–2011

    Google Scholar 

  • Workshop UNEP (2000) Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Reporting—Financing Energy Efficiency Projects for SME’s, Mumbai, Tue 5th Dec 2000

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Hemel C, Crammer J (2002). Barriers and stimuli for eco design in SME’s. Clean Prod 10:439–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber L (1997) Some reflections on barriers to efficient use of energy. Energy Policy 25(10):833–835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • William SP, Economics of the energy industries, II edn. Praeger Publication, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang JC (2006). The efficiency of SME’s in the global market: measuring the Korean performance. Policy Model 28:861–876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • http://bankofindia.com/smepel.1.apx on 7th July 2011

  • http://unido.org/effective policies for small business.pdf

  • www.dcmsme.gov.in/publications

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Mohan Ram .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendices

Appendix: 19 A

Labour

Firms in India generally report only their total payments for wages and salaries, and do not report the total number of workers employed. Man days are calculated for each firm by dividing the payment of wages and salaries by average wage rate.

$$\text{Man days worked=}\frac{\text{Payment of wages and salaries}}{\text{Average wage rate}}$$

The data of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) available at the three-digit level of industrial classification is used to calculate the average wage rate of the relevant industry group. The average wage rate is the ratio of total emoluments to workers to the total number of people engaged.

$$\text{Average wage rate (from ASI)=}\frac{\text{Total emoluments to the workers}}{\text{Total persons engaged}}$$

Appendix 19 B

2.1 Industry Codes and Description (2-Digit Industries)

15 :

Manufacture of food products and beverages

16 :

Manufacture of tobacco products

17 :

Manufacture of textiles

18 :

Manufacture of wearing apparel dressing and dyeing of fur

19 :

Tanning and dressing of leather manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddlery, harness and footwear

20 :

Manufacture of wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture, manufacture of articles of straw and plating materials

21 :

Manufacture of paper and paper products

22 :

Publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media

23 :

Manufacture of coke, refined petroleum products and nuclear fuel

24 :

Manufacture of chemicals and products

25 :

Manufacture of rubber and plastic products

26 :

Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products

27 :

Manufacture of basic metals

28 :

Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipments

29 :

Manufacture of machinery and equipments N.E.C.

30 :

Manufacture of office, accounting and computing machinery

31 :

Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus N.E.C.

32 :

Manufacture of radio, television and communication equipments and apparatus

33 :

Manufacture of medical, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks

34 :

Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers

35 :

Manufacture of other transport equipment

36 :

Manufacture of furniture; manufacturing N.E.C.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer India

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Mohan Ram, M., Gundimeda, H., Kathuria, V. (2015). Does Energy Intensity Affect Labour Productivity in Indian Firms? Preliminary Estimates. In: Reddy, B., Ulgiati, S. (eds) Energy Security and Development. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2065-7_19

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2065-7_19

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

  • Print ISBN: 978-81-322-2064-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-81-322-2065-7

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics