One of the great challenges confronting India is amelioration of the plight of the unorganized workers. NSS estimates show that about 370 million workers belonged to this category in 1999-2000. Of them, about 240 million are engaged in agriculture as owner-cultivators and wage labourers. Of the remaining 130 million non-agricultural workers, about 40 million are engaged in manufacturing, 37 million each in trade and other services, and the remaining in construction.