{"id":"in-lakshadweep","country":"in","kind":"ut","name":{"en":"Lakshadweep","local":"ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്"},"languages":["ml","dv","en"],"currency":"INR","symbol":"₹","fxPerUsd":94,"cities":{"T1":"Kavaratti","T2":"Agatti","T3":"Kiltan"},"basket":{"teaCup":12,"simpleMeal":100,"haircutMen":100,"milkLitre":80,"breadLoaf":50,"unskilledDayWage":650,"minWageMonthly":10863,"shopRentSqftMonth":{"T1":50,"T2":40,"T3":20},"electricityCommercialKwh":7,"lpgCommercialCylinder":3300,"petrolLitre":108},"tax":{"salesTax":"GST 5/18% (national)","smallBizThreshold":"₹40 lakh goods / ₹20 lakh services (national)","localLevies":"No professional tax (Est.); Scheduled Tribe islanders are exempt from income tax (Sec. 10(26)); heritage fee ₹200/day on tourists"},"licences":[{"name":"Trade licence (village/district panchayat, Lakshadweep Administration)","fee":"Not retrieved","authority":"Panchayat / Administration","source":"Est.: no data found"},{"name":"Entry permit for non-islanders (workers, traders, tourists)","fee":"Online permit ≥14 days ahead; sponsor and PCC dropped for tourists (29 Apr 2026)","authority":"Lakshadweep Administration / Police","source":"https://www.keralakaumudi.com/en/news/india/general/lakshadweep-eases-entry-permit-rules-tourist-influx-expected-1740284"}],"festivals":[{"name":"Ramzan","dates2026_27":"about 8 Feb – 9 Mar 2027","effect":"Daytime eateries closed; evening iftar snacks and dates demand; work slows"},{"name":"Eid al-Fitr","dates2026_27":"about 10 Mar 2027","effect":"Clothes, food, gifts peak; shops shut 1–2 days"},{"name":"Bakrid (Eid al-Adha)","dates2026_27":"about 17 May 2027","effect":"Livestock/meat demand; holiday"},{"name":"Milad-un-Nabi","dates2026_27":"about Aug 2027","effect":"Community feasts, processions"},{"name":"Tourist season (not a festival)","dates2026_27":"Oct 2026 – Apr 2027","effect":"Cruise/ship tourists; Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat resorts busy"}],"seasons":[{"months":"May–Sep","what":"South-west monsoon: rough seas, ship and boat services cut, tourism closed, supply gaps"},{"months":"Oct–Apr","what":"Calm seas, tourism and fishing season; tuna catch peaks"}],"payments":{"digitalShare":"low–moderate; connectivity improved with the 2024 Kochi–Lakshadweep submarine cable but cash still common (~30–50% UPI, Est.)","credit":"community credit and udhaar common in small island economies"},"notes":"Lakshadweep is 36 tiny coral islands (10 inhabited, ~65,000 people) about 300 km off Kerala, almost entirely Muslim Scheduled Tribe islanders, and reachable only by a few ships from Kochi and flights to Agatti. Every consumer good is shipped, so prices of milk, LPG, vegetables and building material are well above Kerala's and shelves depend on ship schedules, which have prompted protests when services were cut. The legal minimum wage is very low (₹417.80/day, unrevised since 2019–23), but actual pay is set by island labour scarcity and government jobs. Liquor is prohibited except at some tourist resorts, non-islanders need entry permits (eased in April 2026), land cannot be bought by outsiders, and Ramzan is the defining trading calendar. Tourism is small but growing.","factors":[{"id":"P01","cat":"Wages","name":"Minimum wage, unskilled","value":"₹417.80/day (₹293 basic + ₹124.80 VDA); no 2026 revision found","role":"HV","source":"https://wageindicator.org/en-in/ai/work-in-india/minimum-wage/18447-lakshadweep/18448-construction-or-maintenance-of-roads-and-buildings/","estimate":false},{"id":"P02","cat":"Wages","name":"Minimum wage, other skills","value":"Semi-skilled ₹448.80, skilled/clerical ₹505.80, highly skilled ₹516.80 per day","role":"HV","source":"https://www.keka.com/library/minimum-wages/lakshadweep","estimate":false},{"id":"P03","cat":"Wages","name":"Monthly legal floor used in basket","value":"₹10,863 (₹417.80 × 26)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: computed from P01","estimate":true},{"id":"P04","cat":"Wages","name":"Market day wage","value":"₹650/day — well above the legal floor; islanders prefer govt jobs, mainland labour needs permits","role":"HV","source":"Est.: labour scarcity; Kerala market wage ~₹900 caps it","estimate":true},{"id":"P05","cat":"Wages","name":"Code on Wages (Lakshadweep) Rules 2025","value":"Rules notified; new floor wage may follow","role":"RE","source":"https://www.simpliance.in/download/file/dXBsb2Fkcy9nb3Z0bm90aWZpY2F0aW9uL05vdGlmaWNhdGlvbiBvZiB0aGUgQ29kZSBvbiBXYWdlcyhMYWtzaGFkd2VlcClSdWxlcywgMjAyNS5wZGY=","estimate":false},{"id":"P06","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent T1 Kavaratti","value":"₹50/sq ft/month","role":"HV","source":"Est.: tiny market; space owned by islander families and administration","estimate":true},{"id":"P07","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent T2 Agatti","value":"₹40/sq ft/month (airport island, tourism)","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P08","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent T3 Kiltan / smaller islands","value":"₹20/sq ft/month","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P09","cat":"Rules","name":"Land ownership","value":"Non-islanders cannot buy land; outsiders must partner/lease via islanders","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Lakshadweep land regulations","estimate":true},{"id":"P10","cat":"Energy","name":"Commercial electricity","value":"≈₹7/kWh (heavily subsidised)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: no tariff order retrieved; diesel generation like A&N costs far more","estimate":true},{"id":"P11","cat":"Energy","name":"Diesel generation dependence","value":"Island grids run mainly on diesel gensets plus some solar; outages when fuel ships late","role":"RE","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P12","cat":"Energy","name":"Petrol","value":"≈₹108/L","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Kerala ₹115 less lower UT VAT, plus shipping","estimate":true},{"id":"P13","cat":"Energy","name":"Commercial LPG 19 kg","value":"≈₹3,300","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Kochi ~₹2,930 + ship freight (~12%)","estimate":true},{"id":"P14","cat":"Supply","name":"Ship-dependent supply","value":"Goods arrive by a handful of ships from Kochi/Beypore/Mangaluru; cuts in service trigger protests and shortages","role":"RE","source":"https://fithindi.thequint.com/amp/story/south-india/transportation-crisis-lakshadweep-health-education-protests-arrests-administration-praful-patel","estimate":false},{"id":"P15","cat":"Supply","name":"Landed-cost uplift","value":"+15–30% vs Kochi wholesale on packaged goods; fresh vegetables costlier still","role":"HV","source":"Est.: freight, handling, spoilage","estimate":true},{"id":"P16","cat":"Licences","name":"Entry permit","value":"Online, ≥14 days ahead; tourists no longer need sponsor or PCC (29 Apr 2026); limited to named islands","role":"HV","source":"https://www.keralakaumudi.com/en/news/india/general/lakshadweep-eases-entry-permit-rules-tourist-influx-expected-1740284","estimate":false},{"id":"P17","cat":"Licences","name":"Heritage fee on tourists","value":"₹200 per day","role":"HV","source":"https://traveltradejournal.com/lakshadweep-eases-entry-rules-for-tourists-removes-sponsor-police-clearance-requirements/","estimate":false},{"id":"P18","cat":"Licences","name":"Trade licence","value":"Panchayat/Administration licence; fee not found","role":"PD","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P19","cat":"Tax","name":"Income tax exemption","value":"ST islanders' income from the islands is exempt (IT Act s.10(26)) — effective tax on local owners is GST only","role":"HV","source":"Est.: statutory exemption","estimate":true},{"id":"P20","cat":"Tax","name":"GST and FSSAI","value":"National rules unchanged","role":"HV","source":"https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/advisories/2026/03/69c6a23234827order_27032026.pdf","estimate":false},{"id":"P21","cat":"Rules","name":"Liquor prohibition","value":"Prohibited for public sale; permitted only at select tourist resorts (Bangaram)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: long-standing UT policy","estimate":true},{"id":"P22","cat":"Festivals","name":"Ramzan","value":"About 8 Feb – 9 Mar 2027; daytime food sales near zero, evening 2×","role":"HV","source":"Est.: ~97% Muslim population","estimate":true},{"id":"P23","cat":"Festivals","name":"Eid al-Fitr / Bakrid","value":"About 10 Mar and 17 May 2027","role":"HV","source":"https://www.calendarlabs.com/bank-holidays-in-tamil-nadu-2027/","estimate":false},{"id":"P24","cat":"Festivals","name":"Friday prayers","value":"Shops close for Friday midday prayers","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P25","cat":"Climate","name":"Monsoon closure","value":"May–Sep; ships/boats curtailed, tourism shut; demand −30–50%, stock gaps","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P26","cat":"Climate","name":"Cyclone / storm surge","value":"Rare but destructive (Ockhi 2017)","role":"RE","source":"Est.: low annual probability","estimate":true},{"id":"P27","cat":"Climate","name":"Sea-level and freshwater stress","value":"Groundwater salinity; desalination plants on some islands","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P28","cat":"Prices","name":"Milk","value":"≈₹80/L (mostly UHT/powder shipped from Kerala)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Milma ~₹50 + freight/UHT premium","estimate":true},{"id":"P29","cat":"Prices","name":"Tea","value":"₹12","role":"HV","source":"Est.: follows Kerala chaya pricing","estimate":true},{"id":"P30","cat":"Prices","name":"Simple meal (fish/tuna and rice)","value":"₹100; tuna is local and cheap, vegetables expensive","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P31","cat":"Prices","name":"Men's haircut","value":"₹100","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P32","cat":"Market","name":"Population","value":"~65,000 (Census 2011: 64,473), 78% classed urban; 10 inhabited islands","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Census 2011 (old)","estimate":true},{"id":"P33","cat":"Market","name":"Economy base","value":"Fishing (tuna), coconut, government jobs; small but growing tourism","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P34","cat":"Market","name":"Tourism growth push","value":"Permit easing Apr 2026 expected to raise arrivals; accommodation scarce","role":"HV","source":"https://www.keralakaumudi.com/en/news/india/general/lakshadweep-eases-entry-permit-rules-tourist-influx-expected-1740284","estimate":false},{"id":"P35","cat":"Payments","name":"Digital share","value":"~30–50% UPI; submarine cable (2024) improved data","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P36","cat":"Language","name":"Languages","value":"Malayalam (Jeseri dialect) on most islands; Mahl (Dhivehi) on Minicoy","role":"HV","source":"Est.","estimate":true},{"id":"P37","cat":"Risk","name":"Administrative regulation disputes","value":"Contested development/regulation drafts have sparked hartals and shop shutdowns (2021 precedent)","role":"RE","source":"Est.: 2021 protests","estimate":true},{"id":"P38","cat":"Market","name":"FX used for USD conversion","value":"₹94 per USD (Est.)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: https://thewire.in/economy/in-wake-of-depreciating-rupee-foreign-remittances-to-kerala-remain-unaffected-despite-west-asia-crisis","estimate":true}]}