New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS): Union Minister of Labour & Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2025-26 for the nearly 80 per cent hike in allocation to a record Rs 32,646 crore for the Ministry of Labour & Employment and the social security benefit for gig workers.
“Our focus is firmly on the newly announced Employment Generation Scheme (ELI), for which the budgetary allocation has been doubled from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore. The allocation under the Employees’ Pension Scheme has been increased by Rs 300 crores and under the PM Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana by 37 per cent compared to last year,” the minister said.
He further stated that the Budget was a landmark initiative for India's labour welfare with its comprehensive framework to extend formal recognition and social security benefits to over 1 crore gig workers.
“The gig workforce is a vital pillar of India’s new-age economy, driving innovation and efficiency across digital platforms. The Finance Minister has announced measures to facilitate their identification through unique identity cards, streamline their registration on the e-Shram portal, and ensure access to healthcare under PM Jan Arogya Yojana. These steps will further strengthen the safety net for over crore crore gig workers across sectors,” he said.
The Union Minister said that a pilot initiative has already been undertaken by the Ministry of Labour & Employment to register platform workers and aggregators on the e-Shram portal.
“An Aggregator Module has also been piloted enabling digital platforms to onboard themselves and their workforce onto India’s national database for unorganised workers. As part of this pilot, four leading aggregators - Urban Company, Zomato, Blinkit, and Uncle Delivery - have already registered,” he added.
The Union Minister further pointed out that the Budget 2025-26 announcement marks a significant expansion of this initiative, enabling a massive scale-up and institutionalising these efforts.
“With enhanced resources, the initiative will ensure that every gig and platform worker has access to essential social security benefits through eShram portal, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of this workforce,” he said.
The minister added that the Ministry remains focused on the seamless execution of these initiatives, addressing any operational challenges, and strengthening collaboration with digital platforms.
He said that by combining early groundwork with large-scale policy support, the Government aims to create a robust safety net for gig workers, ensuring their security and well-being in India’s evolving employment landscape.
“Beyond this, the government remains committed to extending social security benefits to workers in other unorganised sectors as well, ensuring dignity, security, and prosperity for every worker in the country,” he said.
The Union Minister added that the rise of digital platforms has revolutionised employment, creating new opportunities for flexible work arrangements.
“India’s gig and platform economy has witnessed rapid expansion, with NITI Aayog’s report ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’ projecting that the workforce in this sector will cross 1 crore in 2024-25 and grow to 2.35 crore by 2029-30,” the minister said.