BPR: 300 Million Informal Workers Registered On E-Shram Portal To Access Schemes

The Union Ministry of Labour has directed technology platforms and aggregators to ensure that all gig workers registered with them enroll on the e-Shram portal. This centralized database will make gig workers eligible for publicly funded social security benefits, as outlined in the ministry’s advisory. The portal aims to integrate informal sector workers, and the registration process is crucial for these workers to access benefits such as health and accident insurance.

As part of this initiative, gig platforms will be required to follow a set of standard operating procedures that include providing information like their annual turnover, number of workers, tax details, and company registration numbers. Following successful registration, gig workers will be issued a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will serve as their social security identifier, enabling access to a range of benefits.

This move aligns with the Social Security Code passed in 2020, although its full implementation is pending as states are yet to finalize necessary rules. The government’s initiative aims to extend social security provisions to the rapidly growing gig economy, which includes workers in sectors like ride-hailing, food delivery, and home services. The e-Shram portal, which has already enrolled over 300 million workers, is a key platform through which various government schemes for informal workers are provided.

In preparation for the launch, the Ministry of Labour ran trials with select gig aggregators to test the registration process. This effort comes as the number of gig workers in India is expected to increase significantly. According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, the gig workforce is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2029-39, marking a threefold increase from the 7.7 million workers estimated in 2020-21.

However, while the government’s move is largely welcomed by industry stakeholders, concerns remain about the nature of the employer-worker relationship in the gig economy. Workers are often considered “partners” rather than employees, which complicates their rights to benefits and protections under traditional labor laws.

The initiative is expected to address the lack of welfare coverage for India’s gig workers, who until now have been largely excluded from formal employment benefits. The Labour Ministry has also set up a toll-free helpline to assist companies in registering on the e-Shram portal.

Also Read: BPR: Tap Water Reached 79.6% Indian Homes In 2024, 5x In 5 Years