India, March 6 -- India's informal sector has invariably been demonised as being a huge contributor to the black economy since it remains outside the official reckoning, or downgraded as contributing low-value-, low-skill, and low-productive elements to an emerging economy. Now that the nation shifts to a new GDP series, with wider, more authentic, and transparent data, apart from a new yearly base, the 'informal' may acquire sheen, and more acceptance. Experts contend that in several ways, the lowly-graded unorganised sector may become more crucial in the policy-makers' arithmetic, calculations, and decisions. This may happen for varying, and the following reasons.

One of the surprises thrown by the new GDP series is the growth in manuf...