Assessing the Impact of Automation on Traditional Industries in India: An Econometric Time-Series Analysis of Employment, Productivity and Structural Transformation    

Authors : Dr. Amit Prakash

Publishing Date : 2026

DOI : NSP/EB/GTRDBAIP/2026/Ch-01 (No DOI-Only Chapter ID)

ISBN : 978-93-49381-76-6

Pages : 1-6

Chapter id : NSP/EB/GTRDBAIP/2026/Ch-01

Abstract : Automation has emerged as a transformative force reshaping industrial structures across developing and advanced economies. In the context of India, where traditional industries such as textiles, manufacturing, agriculture-processing, and mining employ a significant portion of the labor force, the integration of automation technologies presents both opportunities and challenges. This study examines the long-run and short-run impact of automation on employment levels, labor productivity, and structural transformation in India using secondary time-series data from 2000–2024. Econometric techniques including Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root testing, Johansen Cointegration, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), Granger Causality, and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modeling were applied. The findings reveal that automation significantly enhances productivity in the long run while exerting short-term displacement effects on employment in traditional sectors. Structural transformation toward capital-intensive production is statistically evident. The results contribute to policy debates concerning skill development, labor transition, and inclusive industrial modernization.

Keywords : Automation, Traditional Industries, Employment, Productivity, Structural Transformation, Econometric Analysis, India, Time-Series.

Cite : Prakash, A. (2026). Assessing the Impact of Automation on Traditional Industries in India: An Econometric Time-Series Analysis of Employment, Productivity and Structural Transformation (1st ed., pp. 1-6). Noble Science Press. https://noblesciencepress.org/chapter/nspebgtrdbaip2026ch-01

References :
  1. Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2018). Artificial intelligence, automation, and work. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 24196.
  2. Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2020). Robots and jobs: Evidence from US labor markets. Journal of Political Economy, 128(6), 2188–2244.
  3. Aghion, P., Jones, B. F., & Jones, C. I. (2019). Artificial intelligence and economic growth. In A. Agrawal, J. Gans, & A. Goldfarb (Eds.), The economics of artificial intelligence: An agenda (pp. 237–282). University of Chicago Press.
  4. Arntz, M., Gregory, T., & Zierahn, U. (2016). The risk of automation for jobs in OECD countries. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 189.
  5. Autor, D. H. (2015). Why are there still so many jobs? The history and future of workplace automation. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(3), 3–30.
  6. Bessen, J. (2019). AI and jobs: The role of demand. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 24235.
  7. Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2017). Machine, platform, crowd: Harnessing our digital future. W. W. Norton & Company.
  8. Dauth, W., Findeisen, S., Südekum, J., & Woessner, N. (2021). Adjusting to robots: Worker-level evidence. Journal of the European Economic Association, 19(6), 3104–3153.
  9. Frey, C. B., & Osborne, M. A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, 254–280.
  10. Graetz, G., & Michaels, G. (2018). Robots at work. Review of Economics and Statistics, 100(5), 753–768.
  11. International Federation of Robotics. (2023). World robotics report 2023. IFR Publications.
  12. Manyika, J., et al. (2017). A future that works: Automation, employment, and productivity. McKinsey Global Institute.
  13. NITI Aayog. (2022). National strategy for artificial intelligence: #AIforAll. Government of India.
  14. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). The future of work: OECD employment outlook 2019. OECD Publishing.
  15. Restrepo, P. (2023). Automation and structural transformation. Annual Review of Economics, 15, 1–26.
  16. World Bank. (2019). World development report 2019: The changing nature of work. World Bank Publications.
  17. World Bank. (2020). World development report 2020: Trading for development in the age of global value chains. World Bank Publications.