# Labour Contractor Meaning in India

> A labour contractor, or thekedar, supplies workers on a labour-only contract and is paid for measured work. See an example and how SuperWise records labour.

Canonical: https://superwise.site/glossary/labor-contractor-thekedar/
Last updated: 2026-11-01

A subcontractor who supplies only workers and supervision, is paid by measured work and uses materials the builder provides.

## What is Labour Contractor (Thekedar)?

A labour contractor, often called a thekedar, works on a labour-only contract. The builder or developer buys the materials, such as cement, steel and bricks, and provides the heavy machinery, while the contractor supplies skilled workers (masons, carpenters) and unskilled workers. The contractor is paid on the measured quantity of work completed, a piece rate.

## Practical example

A developer hires a [plastering](https://superwise.site/glossary/plastering/) thekedar. The developer's site store issues 50 bags of cement and 2 [brass](https://superwise.site/glossary/brass-measurement/) of sand, and the thekedar's team mixes the mortar and plasters the walls. At the end of the month the thekedar bills ₹150 for every sq.m of wall plastered.

## In SuperWise

In SuperWise a thekedar is an organisation of type contractor. Daily attendance goes on labour challans, with photos and GPS, against a purchase order line, and the [daily progress report](https://superwise.site/glossary/daily-progress-report/) lists the contractor workforce present. A piece-rate contract can be a [work order](https://superwise.site/glossary/work-order/), billed through [RA bills](https://superwise.site/glossary/running-account-bill/) built from approved measurement sheets.

[Daily reporting](https://superwise.site/features/construction-daily-report/)

## Related terms

- [Unskilled Labour](https://superwise.site/glossary/unskilled-labor/)
- [Daily Progress Report (DPR)](https://superwise.site/glossary/daily-progress-report/)
- [Running Account bill (RA bill)](https://superwise.site/glossary/running-account-bill/)
- [Work Order (WO)](https://superwise.site/glossary/work-order/)

## Related
- [Unskilled Labour](https://superwise.site/glossary/unskilled-labor/)
- [Daily Progress Report (DPR)](https://superwise.site/glossary/daily-progress-report/)
- [Running Account bill (RA bill)](https://superwise.site/glossary/running-account-bill/)
- [Work Order (WO)](https://superwise.site/glossary/work-order/)
- [Daily reporting](https://superwise.site/features/construction-daily-report/)