SRINAGAR: The Government of India has said that gig and platform workers will now be officially recognised under the country’s labour laws, with specific social security benefits planned as part of a broader reform agenda. For the first time, these workers—who power services such as food delivery, cab aggregators, and freelance digital platforms—have been brought within the ambit of legislative protection.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, said that the Code on Social Security, 2020, enacted by Parliament, contains provisions defining and addressing the needs of gig and platform workers. The law empowers the Government to formulate social security schemes specifically targeting this segment of the workforce.
According to the Minister, these schemes are designed to cover a wide range of protections, including life and disability insurance, accident cover, health and maternity benefits, and provisions for old age. The move comes amid growing concern over the precarious conditions faced by India’s expanding gig economy workforce, which is estimated to include millions of individuals lacking traditional employment benefits.
Highlighting developments in the current financial year, the Minister noted that the Union Budget for 2025–26 announced concrete steps aimed at improving the welfare of gig workers. Among them are mandatory registration of gig workers on the e-Shram portal, issuance of identity cards, and extension of healthcare benefits under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The reply came in response to questions raised by Dr V Sivadasan, a Rajya Sabha MP, who sought clarity on government measures to ensure labour rights and social security protections for this fast-growing segment of the workforce.
India’s gig economy, projected to grow rapidly in the coming years, has long operated in a legal grey zone, with most workers outside the fold of formal labour protections. The Code on Social Security, while yet to be fully operationalised, is seen as a landmark shift that could reshape the country’s labour landscape.
