NIC Code List for Udyam Registration in 2026: Common Codes for Manufacturing, Services and Trading

Every Udyam registration asks you to pick an NIC code — the government's code for what your business actually does. Pick the wrong one and you may be shown as a trader when you manufacture, miss a scheme meant for your sector, or confuse a bank officer reading your certificate. This guide explains the NIC code list that Udyam uses (NIC 2008), how the five-level structure works, the codes most small businesses need for manufacturing, services and trading, what changed with the new NIC 2025, and how to change your code on Udyam without re-registering.

Quick answer

The NIC code list is the National Industrial Classification published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Udyam registration uses NIC 2008, which classifies every activity into 21 sections, 88 divisions (2-digit), 238 groups (3-digit), 403 classes (4-digit) and 1,304 sub-classes (5-digit). You choose the code for your main activity, and you can add more. A newer NIC 2025 with 6-digit codes was released in November 2025 but had not replaced NIC 2008 on the Udyam form as of October 2026.

• Udyam registration and NIC code changes are free — fee Free

• Manufacturing codes are in Section C (divisions 10–33); services across sections D–U; trading in Section G (45, 46, 47)

• Retail and wholesale traders can register on Udyam, but count as MSMEs only for priority sector lending

• You can hold one Udyam number with any number of NIC activities

What an NIC code is and who uses it

The National Industrial Classification is India's standard list of economic activities. MoSPI's statistics wing maintains it, aligned with the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) so Indian data can be compared with other countries. NIC 2008 is based on ISIC Revision 4; NIC 2025 on ISIC Revision 5.

Government systems use NIC codes to sort businesses by activity. Udyam records your activity as an NIC code and uses it to label you as manufacturing, services or trading. Company and LLP incorporation forms ask for the main business activity by NIC code, and economic censuses, annual surveys and many state industrial schemes use NIC divisions to decide who is covered.

NIC is not the same as HSN or SAC. HSN codes classify goods and SAC codes classify services for GST rates and invoices; NIC classifies the business activity itself. A garment maker has one NIC code for its activity (manufacturing garments) but several HSN codes for the products it sells. Our HSN code finder handles the GST side.

How the NIC 2008 code is built

Every NIC 2008 code is a step down a five-level tree. The first two digits are the division, and each extra digit narrows the activity.

Take garment making as an example. It sits in Section C (Manufacturing), division 14 (manufacture of wearing apparel), group 141 (wearing apparel except fur apparel) and class 1410 (the same activity at class level), and ends at sub-class 14101 — manufacture of all types of textile garments and clothing accessories. Custom tailoring, a different activity, is sub-class 14105 in the same class. That's why the last digit matters: two businesses in the same 4-digit class can do quite different work.

On the Udyam form you pick the 2-digit division first, then the 4-digit class, then the 5-digit sub-class that matches your activity. The section letter isn't entered; it's implied by the division. MoSPI's NIC 2025 document puts NIC 2008 at 21 sections, 88 divisions, 238 groups, 403 classes and 1,304 sub-classes.

Common NIC codes for MSME manufacturing

These are some of the most-used manufacturing codes on Udyam, with descriptions from the NIC 2008 document linked from the Udyam portal. The full book has many more; search it for your exact product.

"n.e.c." means "not elsewhere classified" — use it only when no specific code fits. A job-work machine shop that turns and mills parts for others usually belongs in 25920; a unit that makes and sells its own fabricated products picks the product code instead.

NIC code list for services

Services are spread across many sections, which is why "NIC code for service" is such a common search. These codes cover the services small businesses register most often.

A few traps. A cloud kitchen or restaurant is a service (56101 or 56102), not food manufacturing, even though it cooks. A beauty parlour is 96020, a tailoring shop 14105 (which NIC places under manufacturing), and an event caterer 56210. A freelancer who builds websites for clients is 62011; one who mostly advises clients on IT is 62020. A transport operator who owns trucks and carries goods for others is 49231, while a business that only arranges freight on other people's trucks is a freight agent rather than a transporter, and should look in division 52 instead. If you repair goods for customers, check the repair divisions before choosing a manufacturing code — NIC treats repair as a separate activity from making the product.

NIC codes for trading on Udyam

Trading sits in Section G: division 45 (sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles), 46 (wholesale) and 47 (retail).

The trading rule. Under the MSMED Act, the micro, small and medium categories cover manufacturing and services. On 2 July 2021 the Ministry of MSME issued an office memorandum letting retail and wholesale traders register on Udyam under divisions 45, 46 and 47, and the RBI followed on 7 July 2021 — but only for the limited purpose of priority sector lending. A trader on Udyam can therefore get MSME treatment from banks, but shouldn't assume every MSME scheme or benefit applies; schemes such as PMEGP are aimed at manufacturing and service units.

Why your NIC code matters

The code doesn't change your size category — micro, small or medium depends only on investment and turnover — but it does change how others read your registration.

Banks. Lenders use Udyam to classify loans under priority sector lending and to decide which MSME products you qualify for. A manufacturer or service unit and a trader can all be priority sector borrowers, but some products — such as term loans for machinery under specific credit-guarantee or subsidy schemes — are built around manufacturing and services. A wrong trading code can push you into a different product or rate.

Schemes. Central and state schemes often define who is eligible by activity. PMEGP, for instance, finances new manufacturing and service projects, with different project-cost ceilings for each; state industrial policies usually give capital, interest and power subsidies to manufacturing units identified by NIC division, and may list excluded activities by code. If your code says trading, a subsidy officer may reject a manufacturing claim even though you run machines.

Procurement and buyers. Government buyers and large companies check Udyam to apply MSE purchase preferences and the 45-day payment rule. The Public Procurement Policy's preferences are meant for MSE manufacturers and service providers, and procurement officers look at the activity on your certificate to confirm what you supply.

Data. Your code feeds the national MSME statistics that shape future policy for your sector — one more reason to pick the specific sub-class rather than a catch-all "n.e.c." code.

How to choose the right NIC code

Use your principal activity — the one that contributes the most value, which in practice usually means the most revenue or the most staff time. NIC's guidance is that where value-added figures aren't available, you can use proxies such as output, sales, wages or hours worked on each activity.

One business, several activities. Udyam lets you add any number of manufacturing or service activities in one registration, but only one Udyam number per enterprise. Put the main activity first and add others — a bakery that also runs a café can list 10712 and 56102. If your activities are vertically linked, such as a flour mill that also bakes, NIC classifies by the principal stage, or by the final stage if you can't tell which earns more.

Outsourced production. This one trips up many small brands. NIC 2025's guidance says a business that outsources all its manufacturing counts as a manufacturer only if it owns the input materials or supplies the design or other intellectual property. If it simply buys finished goods from a contractor and sells them, it's a trader (Section G). So a clothing label that buys fabric and gives it to a job worker to stitch is a manufacturer; one that buys finished T-shirts with its own label sewn in, without supplying materials or designs, is a retailer or wholesaler.

Non-specialised traders. A shop counts as non-specialised (for example 47190 or 46909) when it sells goods from at least five NIC classes and no single product line contributes more than half its value added. Otherwise, choose the code for the product line that earns the most.

Worked examples — choosing the code

Business	What it actually does	Main NIC 2008 code	Add as second activity
Home bakery with a small café	Bakes cakes and biscuits for sale; serves tea and snacks	10712 — biscuits, cakes, pastries	56102 — café / fast food
Job-work machine shop	Turns and mills customers' parts on CNC machines	25920 — machining; treatment and coating of metals	—
D2C clothing label	Buys fabric, designs styles, pays a job worker to stitch	14101 — garments (it owns materials and design)	47912 — retail via e-commerce
Reseller of finished T-shirts	Buys finished labelled T-shirts and sells online	47912 — retail via e-commerce (trading)	—
Tax practitioner	Files returns and advises on GST and income tax	69202 — tax consultancy	69201 — accounting and bookkeeping

Home bakery with a small café

What it actually does

Bakes cakes and biscuits for sale; serves tea and snacks

Main NIC 2008 code

10712 — biscuits, cakes, pastries

Add as second activity

56102 — café / fast food

Job-work machine shop

What it actually does

Turns and mills customers' parts on CNC machines

Main NIC 2008 code

25920 — machining; treatment and coating of metals

Add as second activity

—

D2C clothing label

What it actually does

Buys fabric, designs styles, pays a job worker to stitch

Main NIC 2008 code

14101 — garments (it owns materials and design)

Add as second activity

47912 — retail via e-commerce

Reseller of finished T-shirts

What it actually does

Buys finished labelled T-shirts and sells online

Main NIC 2008 code

47912 — retail via e-commerce (trading)

Add as second activity

—

Tax practitioner

What it actually does

Files returns and advises on GST and income tax

Main NIC 2008 code

69202 — tax consultancy

Add as second activity

69201 — accounting and bookkeeping

Common mistakes. Choosing a trading code when you manufacture (you'll be shown as a trader); choosing an "n.e.c." code when a specific one exists; picking the code for the product you buy rather than what you do with it; and copying an agent's suggestion without checking the description. Most of these show up when a bank or scheme officer reads the certificate, and they are easy to fix online.

NIC 2025: what changed and when it applies

MoSPI published NIC 2025 in November 2025, aligned with ISIC Revision 5. It moves from 5-digit to 6-digit sub-class codes and from 21 to 22 sections (A to V). According to MoSPI's own comparison table, it has 87 divisions, 258 groups, 463 classes and 1,887 sub-classes, against NIC 2008's 88, 238, 403 and 1,304.

The biggest changes are in services. Information and communication is split into two sections — publishing in one, telecom, programming and computing in another — and education gets its own section. NIC 2025 adds separate classes for intermediation and digital platform services across trade, transport, accommodation, food and other sectors, expands coverage of renewable energy, waste management and environmental remediation, and adds India-specific 6-digit sub-classes. In NIC 2025, for example, newspaper printing becomes 181101 and restaurant activities fall under 561001.

Finding your future NIC 2025 code. You don't need it yet, but it's easy to look up. NIC 2025 keeps the same logic — section, division, group, class — and adds a sixth digit at the bottom for India-specific detail. The concordance tables at the end of MoSPI's document map each NIC 2008 class to its NIC 2025 equivalent; where one old class has been split, the table marks it as partial, and you pick the new sub-class that matches your activity. A garment unit on 14101 today, for example, will find its activity under class 1410 in NIC 2025, where the 6-digit sub-classes separate draped garments from tailored outerwear and other clothing. Service businesses should check more carefully, because more of their classes moved between sections.

What it means for your Udyam today: nothing yet. The Udyam portal's published metadata still records economic activity "as per NIC-2008", and the NIC document it links from its home page is the NIC 2008 book. Practitioner guides in 2026 report the same for company incorporation forms. When the portal switches, expect existing registrations to be mapped using MoSPI's concordance tables between the two versions, which are published at the end of the NIC 2025 document. Keep using NIC 2008 codes until the portal itself changes.

How to change or add an NIC code on Udyam

You don't need a new registration to correct or add an activity, and there's no fee.

Updating NIC codes on the Udyam portal

1. 1

   Log in

   Go to udyamregistration.gov.in, choose the login for registered users, and enter your Udyam Registration Number and registered mobile number to receive an OTP.

2. 2

   Open the update option

   Choose to update your Udyam details. The form opens with your existing data.

3. 3

   Edit the activity section

   Change the major activity (manufacturing, services or trading) if needed, then select the 2-digit, 4-digit and 5-digit NIC codes. Add more rows for extra activities and remove any that no longer apply.

   Tip: Read the full description of each 5-digit code before selecting — similar-sounding codes can sit in different divisions.

4. 4

   Submit with OTP

   Accept the declaration and submit with the OTP. The change is recorded on your registration.

5. 5

   Download the updated certificate

   Print or download the certificate again so the NIC codes shown match what you've told your bank or scheme office.

Keep the rest of your Udyam data current too. The Udyam notification requires you to update details including ITR and GST return information for the previous year, and failure to update can lead to suspension of your status. Our Udyam registration guide covers the whole form, and the MSME certificate guide explains what the certificate shows.

Where to download the official NIC code list PDF

Use the official documents rather than third-party "NIC code list PDF" copies, which are often incomplete or mix NIC 2008 and NIC 2025 codes.

• NIC 2008 (used on Udyam): the full book is linked from the Udyam portal's home page as "NIC code for MSME classification". It includes explanatory notes saying what each class includes and excludes.
• NIC 2025: the full document, with the structure, explanatory notes and concordance tables, is on MoSPI's website.

Before you rely on any list — including the tables on this page — open the class in the official book and read the "includes" and "excludes" notes. They settle most borderline cases: whether repair belongs with manufacturing or services, whether a job worker who only processes customers' materials is in the same class as the product maker, and which code covers a mixed shop. If you still can't decide between two codes, choose the one that describes the activity bringing in most of your revenue and add the other as a second activity.

Official NIC and Udyam links

• NIC 2008 — full code list (PDF, Udyam portal)The list Udyam uses
• NIC 2025 — full document (PDF, MoSPI)6-digit codes and concordance with NIC 2008
• Udyam Registration portalRegister, log in, update NIC codes
• Udyam metadata (PDF)Activity recorded as per NIC-2008
• RBI circular on retail and wholesale trade as MSMEsPriority sector lending only

What to do next

Find your activity in the tables above, then confirm the full description in the NIC 2008 PDF before you select it. If you're registering for the first time, our Udyam registration guide walks through the form; if you already have Udyam and the code is wrong, update it online today — it's free and takes a few minutes. Watch for the Udyam portal's move to NIC 2025 codes, and check your code again when it happens.

Frequently asked questions

Which NIC code list does Udyam registration use?

Udyam uses NIC 2008. The Udyam portal's own metadata says economic activity is recorded 'as per NIC-2008', and the NIC code document linked from its home page is the NIC 2008 book. You pick a 2-digit division, then a 4-digit class and a 5-digit sub-class. NIC 2025, released in November 2025, uses 6-digit codes but had not replaced NIC 2008 on the Udyam form as of October 2026.

What is the NIC code for trading?

Trading falls in Section G of NIC 2008: division 45 (motor vehicles and their parts), 46 (wholesale) and 47 (retail). For example, 47211 is retail sale of cereals, pulses, tea, coffee and spices; 47711 retail of readymade garments; 46411 wholesale of textiles and clothing; 47912 retail via e-commerce. Udyam accepts these codes, but retail and wholesale traders count as MSMEs only for priority sector lending.

What is the NIC code for services?

It depends on the service. Common ones: 62011 software development, 69201 accounting and auditing, 69202 tax consultancy, 70200 management consultancy, 73100 advertising, 56101 restaurants without bars, 96020 hairdressing and beauty treatment, 45200 repair of motor vehicles, 49231 road freight transport and 53200 courier activities. Pick the code that describes the service that earns most of your revenue.

Is there an NIC code list 2019?

No. There is no NIC 2019. Searches for an '2019 list' usually mean the NIC 2008 codes used on the old Udyog Aadhaar form at the time; the same NIC 2008 list is still used on Udyam. The only newer edition is NIC 2025, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in November 2025.

Can I change or add NIC codes after Udyam registration?

Yes, free of cost. Log in on the Udyam portal with your Udyam Registration Number and the OTP sent to your registered mobile, choose to update your details, and edit or add NIC codes in the activity section. The Udyam notification allows any number of manufacturing or service activities in one registration, but you cannot hold two Udyam numbers.

Does the NIC code affect my MSME category?

No. Since 2020 the micro, small and medium limits are the same for manufacturing and services, and the category comes from investment and turnover — micro is up to ₹2.5 crore investment and ₹10 crore turnover. The NIC code decides whether you're shown as manufacturing, services or trading, which affects scheme and loan eligibility.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 8 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.National Industrial Classification (All Economic Activities) 2008 — document linked from the Udyam portal — Central Statistical Organisation, MoSPI (hosted by Udyam Registration portal) · accessed 8 October 2026
2. 2.Udyam Registration metadata — Office of the DC (MSME) · accessed 8 October 2026
3. 3.Notification S.O. 2119(E) dated 26 June 2020 as amended by S.O. 1364(E), 21 March 2025 — Ministry of MSME (Gazette of India) · accessed 8 October 2026
4. 4.National Industrial Classification 2025 — Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation · accessed 8 October 2026
5. 5.New definition of MSMEs — addition of retail and wholesale trade (RBI/2021-22/67, 7 July 2021) — Reserve Bank of India · accessed 8 October 2026
6. 6.MoSPI releases the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2025 — Vision IAS (current-affairs summary) · accessed 8 October 2026
7. 7.Udyam NIC code list guide (2008 vs 2025) — Jiraaf · accessed 8 October 2026