New Delhi, March 17 -- The Supreme Court of India has constituted a nine-judge Constitution Bench to revisit a fundamental question in labour law: What legally qualifies as an "industry"? The answer determines which organisations fall under labour regulations and whether their workers can approach labour courts for dispute resolution.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, will examine whether a landmark ruling in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa case should continue to guide labour law. In that 1978 judgment, the court adopted a broad definition, holding that any organised activity involving employers and workers providing goods or services could count as an industry, even if it was not profit-driven.

Th...