India Establishes Social Security Boards for Gig, Platform and Unorganised Workers

The Government of India has notified the constitution of national social security boards for unorganised workers and gig and platform workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020, establishing a statutory mechanism for recommending, monitoring and reviewing welfare measures for workers outside conventional employment arrangements. The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the development on 30 October 2026 as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen social protection for India’s large informal workforce and workers associated with the rapidly expanding digital platform economy.

The newly constituted boards will bring together representatives from the Central and State Governments, employers, aggregator companies, civil society organisations, workers’ unions and gig and platform worker associations. The government has stated that these institutional arrangements are intended to support the formulation and administration of appropriate social security schemes for different categories of workers, including those engaged in app-based transportation, delivery services and other forms of platform-mediated employment.

National Social Security Boards Constituted Under Labour Codes

According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the boards have been established under the statutory framework provided by the Code on Social Security, 2020. The Code consolidates several existing social security laws and introduces provisions intended to extend social protection to workers in organised and unorganised employment, including gig and platform workers.

The Central Government brought the four Labour Codes into effect on 21 November 2025, including the Code on Social Security, which provides a legal framework for social security measures covering different categories of workers. The provisions formally recognise gig workers, platform workers and aggregators, allowing the government to develop welfare arrangements suited to employment models that operate outside conventional employer-employee relationships.

The notification issued on 30 October represents an institutional step in implementing these provisions by formally establishing the boards responsible for advising the government and monitoring relevant welfare measures. The constitution of the boards does not, by itself, constitute the launch of a new financial benefit or insurance scheme, but creates an administrative framework through which such measures can be recommended and reviewed.

Union Labour Minister to Chair the Boards

The national social security boards will be chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment and include representatives from different sections of government, industry and the workforce. Their composition is intended to bring together institutions responsible for labour administration with organisations representing employers, digital platforms and workers.

According to the official notification, the boards will include representatives from the Central and State Governments, prominent aggregator companies, employers, civil society organisations, workers’ unions and associations representing gig and platform workers. This structure provides for participation by stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of social security policies.

The Ministry has also prescribed that the boards must meet at least three times annually and follow the rules of procedure established by the Central Government. These meetings will provide a formal mechanism for examining welfare proposals, reviewing administrative matters and assessing the functioning of social security arrangements covered by the Code.

Boards to Recommend and Monitor Welfare Schemes

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has assigned the boards several responsibilities relating to the formulation and administration of social security measures for unorganised workers and gig and platform workers.

One of their principal functions will be to recommend suitable schemes to the Central Government for different categories of workers. These recommendations are intended to address the diverse requirements of individuals engaged in informal employment, self-employment and work facilitated through digital platforms.

The boards will also advise the Central Government on matters referred to them concerning the administration of the Code on Social Security. Their responsibilities include monitoring welfare schemes administered by the Centre, reviewing record-keeping functions performed at the State level and examining expenditure from the relevant social security funds and accounts.

In addition, the boards may undertake other functions assigned by the Central Government in accordance with the statutory framework. The government has stated that these responsibilities are intended to support the development and monitoring of targeted welfare programmes for workers who have historically had limited access to formal social security arrangements.

Gig and Platform Workers Receive Recognition Under Social Security Code

The Code on Social Security, 2020, introduced statutory definitions of gig workers and platform workers, acknowledging forms of employment that have expanded alongside India’s digital economy.

Under the Code, a gig worker is broadly defined as a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns from such activities outside a traditional employer-employee relationship. Platform work involves activities undertaken through online platforms that connect individuals or organisations with customers requiring particular services.

These categories include workers associated with app-based transportation, food delivery, logistics, household services and other digital platforms. Their working arrangements may differ significantly from conventional salaried employment because they often involve flexible engagements, multiple platforms and varying income patterns.

The Code provides for the formulation of social security measures addressing areas such as life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits and old-age protection. The availability of individual benefits will depend on the applicable schemes, their implementation and eligibility requirements.

e-Shram Portal Supports Registration of Unorganised Workers

The establishment of the boards forms part of a wider government programme to develop a national social security framework supported by digital registration and administrative systems.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the e-Shram portal on 26 August 2021 to create a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers, including migrant workers, construction workers, agricultural labourers, domestic workers and workers associated with digital platforms.

Eligible workers registering through the portal receive a Universal Account Number, which provides a common identification mechanism within the national database. The government has also introduced arrangements for aggregator companies to facilitate the registration of platform workers associated with their services.

In August 2026, the Ministry reported that more than 31.89 crore unorganised workers had registered through e-Shram. The government also stated that approximately 11.5 lakh platform workers had been registered, providing an expanding database to support the identification of workers and the planning of appropriate welfare measures.

The e-Shram One-Stop-Solution initiative, launched in October 2024, further integrates information concerning social security and welfare schemes through a common digital platform.

Social Security Framework Covers Life, Health and Old-Age Protection

The Code on Social Security provides for the development of welfare schemes addressing several important areas of worker protection, including life insurance, disability benefits, accident insurance, healthcare, maternity benefits and old-age security.

The framework also provides for the establishment of a Social Security Fund to support schemes intended for unorganised workers and gig and platform workers. Relevant provisions address contributions from different sources, including aggregators, as prescribed under the Code and applicable rules.

The government has previously announced measures intended to facilitate the registration of gig and platform workers, provide identification through e-Shram and extend access to appropriate healthcare and other welfare arrangements.

The national social security boards will be responsible for advising on suitable schemes and monitoring those administered by the Central Government. Their constitution therefore establishes a mechanism for institutional oversight and recommendations rather than automatically extending every benefit to all registered workers.

Government Seeks Wider Coverage for India’s Informal Workforce

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has identified the expansion of social security coverage as an important objective of the Labour Codes, particularly for workers whose employment arrangements do not fall within traditional salaried structures.

India’s unorganised workforce includes people engaged in agriculture, construction, domestic services, street vending, small businesses, transportation and numerous other occupations. The expansion of app-based services has also created new categories of workers whose employment arrangements involve digital intermediaries and aggregator companies.

The government has stated that bringing these workers within a statutory social security framework is intended to strengthen access to welfare measures and improve coordination between government institutions, employers, aggregators and worker organisations.

The constitution of the national boards provides an institutional mechanism for examining these requirements and recommending measures suited to different categories of workers.

Strengthening Social Protection for India’s Evolving Workforce

The notification of the national social security boards marks a further step in implementing the Code on Social Security, 2020, by establishing a statutory forum for developing and monitoring welfare measures for unorganised workers and those engaged in the gig and platform economy.

Through representation from governments, industry organisations, aggregators and workers’ associations, the boards are intended to support coordinated decision-making and provide recommendations concerning the social security requirements of different sections of the workforce.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has emphasised that the initiative forms part of the government’s efforts to extend social protection to workers who have traditionally remained outside formal welfare arrangements.

With the constitution of these boards, the Government of India has established an additional institutional mechanism for advancing its stated objective of extending social security coverage to unorganised, gig and platform workers, while strengthening the participation of workers and industry stakeholders in the development of welfare measures.

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