Widespread protests Noida-Greater Noida industrial belt have resulted in wage hikes for workers in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, a move which is expected to impact several manufacturing-heavy sectors, including automotive.
However, Girish Wagh the Managing Director and CEO of Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Ltd. underlined that the hikes are not "as big a challenge" as incorporating the new labour codes.
While speaking at a company event in Lucknow on Wednesday, Wagh said, "The larger piece which is in the play right now is the new labour code. We have been working to prepare towards this new labour code for almost last three years."
Tata Motors CV had taken a one-time hit owing to the new labour codes in the third quarter of FY26. The consolidated bottom-line of the company had slumped 48% to 705 crore in the quarter ended December 2025 from Rs 1,355 crore in the year-ago period.
He highlighted that the company has been in a fairly better position looking from that perspective, and other incidents such as the newly announced labour wage hikes, should not be such a big challenge as compared to the new labour codes.
"The other incidents should not be such a big challenge as compared to the new labour code," the CEO said.
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On April 14, the Uttar Pradesh government had announced an interim wage hike of 21% for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers after massive protests in Noida. The move followed an increase of 35% in minimum wages in Haryana, prompting similar demands in Uttar Pradesh.
The Adityanath Yogi-led government has, however, rejected claims that the minimum pay has been raised to Rs 20,000 per month and stated that employers are not following this direction. The protests are still going on in Noida.
Labour Code Shock?
The new labour codes have been effective from November 2025 had hit many giants of the industry in quarter ended Dec. 2025. The companies had to make provisions for their employees, pertaining to these new codes that aimed to simplify and streamline existing labour laws.
'Biggest To Digest': Wagh On Iran War
Talking about the middle east crisis, Wagh said that it has been "the biggest input that one has been trying to digest and find out a way."
Highlighting how the company already has a fair bit of an exposure to the region, the CEO said that the company has both pros and cons which they keep on balancing to see what countries they play in and remains competitive.
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