Government Says Social Security Coverage Now Reaches More Than 100 Crore Indians

More than 100 crore people in India are now covered under different forms of social security, according to Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya. The coverage includes health protection, employee insurance and other welfare mechanisms that together represent a substantial expansion of India’s social protection framework.

Mandaviya said over 60 crore people are covered under health-security programmes, while around 25 crore people receive protection through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. The figures highlight the growing scale of formal social protection as the government expands access to healthcare, insurance and worker welfare.

Health Security Covers More Than 60 Crore People

Health protection accounts for the largest share of the social security coverage cited by the government. More than 60 crore people are now covered through public health-security mechanisms, reflecting the rapid expansion of government-backed healthcare protection in recent years.

The growth of health coverage has helped bring a much larger section of the population into formal systems that can reduce the financial impact of hospitalisation and medical treatment. This expansion is especially important for lower-income households, where unexpected healthcare costs can place significant pressure on family finances.

ESIC Coverage Reaches Around 25 Crore People

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation provides another major pillar of India’s social security framework. According to Mandaviya, around 25 crore people are now covered through ESIC, which provides medical and social security benefits to eligible workers and their dependants.

ESIC coverage includes access to medical care as well as benefits linked to sickness, maternity, employment injury, disablement and dependants’ support. Its growing reach reflects the increasing importance of institutional social protection for workers connected to the formal economy.

Social Security Expands Beyond Traditional Employment Benefits

India’s social security architecture has gradually broadened beyond conventional workplace-based welfare. Public health insurance, employee insurance, pension mechanisms and other welfare programmes now operate across different sections of the population.

This wider structure is helping extend protection to groups that were historically outside formal social security systems. The expansion reflects a broader policy effort to combine worker welfare with health protection and income security.

Worker Welfare Remains a Policy Priority

Mandaviya said the government is working to sustain industrial growth while improving the welfare of workers. The emphasis is on expanding the reach of social security while supporting employment and productivity across the economy.

This approach links labour policy more closely with broader economic development. As India’s workforce becomes larger and more diverse, access to healthcare, insurance and income protection is becoming increasingly important to long-term economic resilience.

Social Protection Strengthens Household Security

The expansion of social security to more than 100 crore people marks a significant development in India’s welfare architecture. The scale of coverage now extends across health protection, employee insurance and other forms of institutional support.

By widening access to formal social protection, India is strengthening household resilience and giving a larger share of the population greater protection against health emergencies, workplace risks and financial shocks.

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References

Akashvani News — Statement by Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on social security coverage in India, September 28, 2026.

Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India — Social security and worker welfare programmes.

Employees’ State Insurance Corporation — Coverage and social security benefits for workers and their dependants.

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