The Union Budget 2025-26 announced healthcare coverage for Gig Workers in India registered on the e-Shram portal. While the government estimated over 1 crore gig workers, only 8.58 lakh registrations were recorded as of January 2026, leaving nearly five out of six gig workers outside the government’s reach. This highlights major concerns related to Gig Workers Social Security, welfare coverage and the implementation of the Gig Workers Policy in India.
Gig Economy in India
- The Gig Economy in India is defined under the Code on Social Security, 2020.
- Platform Workers in India and other gig workers are engaged in food delivery, transportation, domestic work, retail, healthcare and education.
- NITI Aayog’s 2022 report estimated:
- 77 lakh gig workers (2020-21)
- 1.27 crore (2024-25)
- 1.43 crore (2025-26)
- The gig workforce accounts for around 2% of India’s total workforce of 61.6 crore (PLFS 2025).
- The rapid expansion of the Gig Economy India ecosystem has increased the need for stronger Gig Workers Labour Laws and social protection mechanisms.
Registration Trends
- The e-Shram portal (2021) is an Aadhaar-seeded National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
- Registrations surged after the healthcare coverage announcement in Budget 2025-26.
- Yet, only around 15% of estimated gig workers are registered.
- State disparities remain significant: Tamil Nadu (31,654), Telangana (29,951) and Kerala (11,219) are not among the top 10 despite high urbanisation.
- Low registration also limits the reach of Gig Workers Government Schemes and any future Gig Workers Welfare Scheme.
Challenges
- Measurement gap: PLFS does not capture gig workers separately, creating difficulties in accurately assessing the scale of the Gig Economy in India.
- Policy gap: Benefits under the Gig Workers Social Security Code, including accident insurance, maternity benefits and a welfare fund, remain unimplemented.
- Awareness gap: Many workers remain unaware of registration benefits and available provisions for Social Security for Gig Workers in India.
- Sectoral concentration: Registrations are skewed towards the food industry, transport and household work.
- These issues represent some of the major Gig Economy Challenges in India, particularly in extending welfare benefits to informal and platform-based workers.
Significance
- Gig Workers in India form the backbone of the new-age services economy.
- Ensuring Gig Workers Social Security, healthcare and accident insurance is vital for inclusive growth.
- Registration is key to policy targeting, welfare delivery and the enforcement of Gig Workers Rights in India.
- Effective protection of gig and Platform Workers in India can also improve employment security and strengthen India’s digital economy.
Constitutional & Policy Context
- Article 41 (Directive Principles): The State should provide public assistance in cases of unemployment, sickness and disablement.
- Article 43: Ensures living wages and decent working conditions.
- Code on Social Security, 2020: Officially defined gig workers and promised benefits such as accident insurance, maternity benefits and a dedicated social security fund. It forms an important foundation for Gig Workers Labour Laws and the broader Gig Workers Social Security Code framework.
- e-Shram Portal (2021): Aadhaar-seeded National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), designed to unify welfare delivery and improve access to Gig Workers Government Schemes.
- Strengthening these provisions is important for future Gig Economy Labour Reforms and the development of a comprehensive Gig Workers Policy in India.
Conclusion
The e-Shram portal is an important step towards the integration of Gig Workers in India into the formal social security framework, but gaps in registration, measurement and benefit delivery persist. For gig workers to become a strategic national asset, India must strengthen data systems, awareness campaigns and implementation of social security provisions.
Comprehensive Social Security for Gig Workers in India, stronger Gig Workers Rights in India, effective welfare schemes and timely Gig Economy Labour Reforms will be necessary to make the rapidly expanding Gig Economy India ecosystem more inclusive and sustainable. The issue is also significant from the perspective of Gig Economy UPSC, particularly under GS Paper 2 topics related to social justice, welfare and vulnerable sections.
