Kerala VDA calculator
Work out the Variable Dearness Allowance component of a Kerala minimum wage, and what a shortfall comes to across a payroll. Enter the figures from your own notification — this tool does not look up rates, because a rate it cannot cite is a rate you cannot rely on.
This is an information tool, not advice. It performs arithmetic on figures you enter. It does not decide whether a salary structure is lawful, compliant or correct, it is not a substitute for professional advice, and GHR assumes no duty of care to you in respect of it. Position stated as at 2026-09-25.
Every rate on this page comes from you. Kerala notifies a basic wage for each scheduled employment and adds VDA against the consumer price index, revised by notification. The amounts differ by employment, category and area, and they change. Enter them from the notification that applies to you. This tool does arithmetic on those figures; it does not decide what they are.
From your notification
All five figures appear on the minimum wage notification for your scheduled employment.What you are paying
Before you use this figure
- · Kerala operates dozens of scheduled employments, each with its own rate, and rates vary by category within an employment. Use the notification for the employment and category that actually applies.
- · The monthly equivalent is shown at 26 days, the convention for a monthly rated employee. If your establishment works a different number of days, use the daily figure.
- · A difference between the notified rate and the rate paid is arithmetic. Whether it amounts to an underpayment, what is recoverable, and over what period, are questions for advice.
- · There is no single statewide minimum wage in Kerala. A figure for one employment does not apply to another.
Not sure which notification applies?
GHR identifies the scheduled employment and category for each of your staff, confirms the current notified rates, and advises on any arrears.
Ask GHR about thisFrequently asked questions
What is Variable Dearness Allowance?
VDA is the cost-of-living component added to the basic minimum wage, revised periodically against the consumer price index. Basic wage plus VDA together form the notified minimum wage for a scheduled employment.
How often is Kerala VDA revised?
It is revised by notification, typically at intervals through the year, and applies from the date specified in each notification. The rate is linked to movement in the consumer price index for the relevant period.
Is VDA part of PF wages?
Dearness allowance forms part of “wages” under the Code on Social Security, 2020, so it feeds into PF and ESI computations in the same way as basic pay, subject to the 50% composition rule.
Where are the official rates published?
In Kerala Government Labour Department notifications. Take the basic wage, the base index and the VDA rate per point from the notification for your scheduled employment, and enter them into the calculator. It performs the arithmetic on your figures rather than supplying rates of its own, because a rate the tool cannot cite is a rate you cannot rely on.
Why can't the calculator show me the rate?
Kerala notifies minimum wages separately for dozens of scheduled employments, with rates that differ by skill category and area and change on revision. A single figure shown here would be wrong for most employers and out of date for the rest, and you would have no way to tell which. The rate on your own notification is the one that applies to you.