Maharashtra Factories (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025

Date of Notification: 3 October 2025
Authority: Government of Maharashtra, Industries, Energy, Labour & Mining Department
Legal Basis: Sections 41, 10 and 115 of the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948)
Citation: Notification No. FAX-2025/CR-117(Part-I)/Lab-4

Executive Summary

The Government of Maharashtra has notified a comprehensive overhaul of the Maharashtra Factories Rules, 1963 through the Maharashtra Factories (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025.

The amendment signals a major shift toward digital governance, enhanced worker health and safety, and gender-sensitive workplace protection.

Key changes include:

1. Full digitalisation of factory registration, licensing and renewal.
2. Revised fee schedules reflecting operational scale and modern economic parameters.
3. Mandatory mock drills and updated emergency-preparedness obligations.
4. Comprehensive safety and welfare measures for women employees, particularly those working night shifts.
5. Special protections for pregnant and lactating women in hazardous operations.
6. Expanded medical examination and health-record requirements for all workers above 45 years of age.

Collectively, the 2025 amendment modernises Maharashtra’s industrial regulatory landscape aligning it with national digitisation goals, ESG-linked safety expectations, and global labour standards.

Background and Context

The Factories Act, 1948 is a central legislation prescribing minimum standards for the health, safety, welfare and working conditions of factory employees. Each state is empowered under Section 115 to frame and amend rules for local application.

The Maharashtra Factories Rules, 1963, one of the most detailed frameworks in India had remained largely unchanged in structural form for several decades.

With rapid industrial automation, occupational diversification, and the rise of large-scale industrial parks, the state government has sought to:

1. Transition all compliance workflows to digital platforms.
2. Enhance industrial disaster preparedness following incidents such as the Boisar, Tarapur and Pune chemical fires.
3. Improve women’s participation and safety in industrial employment.
4. Rationalise fee structures to reflect current industrial scales and inflation.

The 2025 Amendment Rules are thus both technological and protective in orientation — embedding e-governance within the traditional Factories Act framework.

Section-wise Analysis of Major Amendments

1. Digitalisation of Licensing and Forms (Rules 3, 5, 6, 8, 14 & 15)

All procedural steps for establishing, licensing, renewing or amending a factory are now mandated to be electronic.

Key Modifications:

• References to “made in Form 1” are replaced by “made electronically in Form 1.”
• Physical copies (“in duplicate,” “in triplicate,” “one copy of”) are deleted.
• Rule 14 is entirely substituted to require electronic submission of the notice of occupation, following which the Deputy Chief Inspector shall issue the licence electronically.
• Rule 15 aligns inspection and registration processes with the same digital format.
• Rule 6(1) and Rule 8(2) require licence and renewal in Form 4 (electronic).

Practical Effect

• Factories must now interact solely through the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) online portal.
• No manual filings, physical visits, or paper-based renewals are valid.
• The shift ensures traceability, faster turnaround, and reduced discretion in regulatory approvals.

KSK Comment:

This digitisation mirrors the Central Government’s “Ease of Doing Business” agenda. However, occupiers must ensure that their digital signatures, authorisations and connectivity are fully operationall, delays or non-recognition of e-signatures could inadvertently result in non-compliance.

2. Certificate of Stability (Rule 3-A)

The amendment simplifies structural-safety certification. The occupier of any non-hazardous factory must submit a Certificate of Stability (Form 1A) issued by a competent person within 12 months of licence issuance under Rule 6A. Earlier requirements for pre-approval by the Inspector have been removed.

Impact:

• Reduces administrative bottlenecks in factory expansion or modification.
• However, the occupier remains accountable for ensuring structural integrity; the liability for false certification now rests squarely with the factory management.

3. Updated Fee Schedules (Schedules A & B)

Both schedules are substituted entirely. They now provide a graduated fee matrix based on:

• Installed capacity (horsepower or megawatts); and
• Number of workers employed.
• Fees rise progressively across ten categories, with specific differentiation for power-generating stations versus other factories.

Example:

For a factory employing 1,000 workers with 1,000 HP capacity, the licence fee now scales up to ₹1,38,600; for very large facilities (above 4,000 workers), fees extend beyond ₹2 lakh annually.

KSK Comment:

The revised fee matrix rationalises revenue for the state while reflecting inflation since the last revision in 2018. Occupiers should review multi-year licence renewals to budget for increased costs.

4. Medical Examination and Worker Health (Rule 18-A & Form 7-A)

A major welfare-oriented change is the introduction of periodic medical examinations for ageing workers.

New Rule 18-A Highlights

Every occupier must conduct medical examinations for all workers aged 45 years or above, except those already covered under hazardous process provisions.

The examination must be conducted by:

• A qualified medical practitioner or certifying surgeon appointed under Section 10;
• A medical officer of the ESIC or ESIS; or
• An institute of qualified medical practitioners (minimum five doctors).
• The occupier must submit Form 7-A electronically within 15 days of examination.
• Health registers must be digitally maintained for inspection.

Rationale:

Promotes preventive healthcare and early detection of occupational diseases such as silicosis, noise-induced hearing loss, or chemical sensitivities.

KSK Comment:

Factories should integrate these requirements into their annual HR or EHS compliance calendars. Coordination with ESIC hospitals and third-party practitioners will be critical to maintain documentation continuity.

5. Mock Drills and Emergency Preparedness (Rule 73-ID)

A new Rule 73-ID mandates mock drills every six months, based on probable emergency scenarios.

Core Provisions

• Occupiers must design a drill simulating emergencies (fire, explosion, chemical leak).
• Intimation of the drill and its scenario must be sent to the Inspector within 15 days after completion.
• Drills must cover all shifts and key departments.

Compliance Significance:

Reinforces readiness and aligns with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) protocols on industrial risk management.

KSK Comment:

Mock drills are often treated perfunctorily; the new rule creates a clear record-keeping obligation. Inspectors may now seek documented proof of biannual drills — non-performance could be treated as a safety-rule violation.

6. Employment of Women During Night Shifts (Rule 102-B)

A completely revised rule establishes an extensive safety framework for women employed between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Key Requirements

1. Transportation: Mandatory secure pick-up and drop from residence to factory.
2. Lighting: All pathways, conveniences, and access areas must be well-illuminated.
3. Minimum Presence: At least two women must be on duty at any workplace during such shifts.
4. Grievance Meetings: Every eight weeks, the manager must hold a “grievance day” with women representatives and address issues.
5. Consent: Written consent of each woman worker for night work must be retained for three years.
6. CCTV Surveillance: Continuous CCTV coverage with recordings preserved for at least 45 days.

Broader Objective:

Balances women’s employment rights with safety concerns, enabling inclusivity without compromising security.

KSK Comment:

This rule operationalises the 2019 Supreme Court dictum permitting women to work night shifts, provided adequate safeguards are maintained. Employers must ensure strict compliance to avoid potential gender-safety claims or inspectorate objections.

7. Protection for Pregnant and Lactating Women (Rule 114 & 114-A)

All references to “women” in the schedules (III–XXVI) are replaced with “pregnant women and lactating mothers.”

New Rule 114-A Adds:

• Respiratory and protective equipment (e.g., masks, overcoats, aprons) must be provided.
• No pregnant/lactating woman may work in operations involving carcinogenic or teratogenic substances.
• Training and information dissemination in local language (Marathi and understood language) is mandatory.
• Prohibition on exposure to substances affecting reproductive health or menstrual cycles.

KSK Comment:

These amendments deepen gender-specific occupational safeguards, harmonising with provisions under the Maternity Benefit Act and ILO conventions on maternal health at work.

8. Revised Criteria for Medical Officers (Rule 73-W)

The thresholds requiring appointment of medical officers have been increased substantially:

Further, candidates must possess three years’ experience in industrial health examination.

Implication: Eases regulatory burden for small and medium enterprises while ensuring competent medical oversight for large factories.

9. Deleted Provisions

• Rule 11 (redundant administrative formality) and Rule 102-C (obsolete safety reference) have been deleted.
• Form 6 (old medical register) has been replaced by Form 7-A to integrate with digital health tracking systems.
• Schedule XIII has been deleted, and other schedules realigned to remove duplication.

KSK Comment:

The deletions reflect an intention to streamline procedural clutter and focus inspectorate attention on core safety and welfare metrics rather than repetitive paperwork.

Comparative and Strategic Analysis

1. Alignment with National Digital Initiatives: The move towards electronic filing is consistent with:
   • The Digital India mission;
   • The State Single Window System (MAITRI) for industrial clearances; and
   • The Ministry of Labour’s Shram Suvidha Portal under the CLRA and Factories frameworks.
   • This harmonisation will ultimately enable data convergence across labour laws, simplifying reporting for multi-location employers.
2. ESG and Corporate Responsibility Linkages
   • These amendments also respond to the rising emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures.
   • Enhanced worker safety, gender inclusion, and medical audits support the “Social” component of ESG reporting, particularly for listed companies and global investors.
3. Industrial Relations and Litigation Risk
   Non-compliance with new health and gender provisions could result in:
   • Prosecution under Section 92 of the Factories Act (general penalty clause).
   • Possible workplace safety claims under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 when operationalised.
   • Reputational risks, especially for exporters and MNC-linked manufacturing units.

Compliance Checklist for Employers

Strategic Recommendations

1. Immediate Review of Digital Systems: Factories should verify user registration, e-signature validity, and data entry capabilities on the DISH portal.
2. Health and Safety SOP Update: Integrate new medical examination and mock-drill clauses into internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
3. Gender-Safety Policy Alignment: Amend internal HR policies to incorporate consent forms, grievance-redress mechanisms, and CCTV guidelines.
4. Training and Awareness: Conduct multilingual training for managers, safety officers, and women employees to ensure comprehension of new rights and responsibilities.
5. Record Keeping: Maintain soft copies of all forms, registers, and proof of compliance for inspection and ESG audit purposes.

Conclusion

The Maharashtra Factories (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025 mark the most substantial modernisation of the state’s factory framework in over a decade. By embedding digital processes, preventive healthcare, and gender-specific protections, the government has set a new benchmark for industrial regulation.

While these reforms simplify administration, they simultaneously elevate employer accountability particularly regarding worker safety, medical vigilance, and gender inclusion. Factories operating in Maharashtra must respond proactively, updating internal compliance systems, HR policies, and safety documentation to meet the new statutory expectations effective immediately.