The government of Uttar Pradesh (India's most populous state) announced an interim hike in minimum wages on 14 April 2026, a day after factory workers staged a large protest in Noida (an industrial city near New Delhi) that turned violent. The state raised the minimum wage for unskilled workers by up to 21%, effective 1 April, with further adjustments to follow recommendations from a Wage Board set to be formed next month. Police arrested more than 300 people and registered seven criminal cases in connection with the unrest, with authorities also investigating a possible organised "syndicate" behind the protests, which were driven by worker demands for higher pay amid rising living costs.