India’s gig workforce is projected to expand from 10 million workers in 2024–25 to 23.5 million by 2029–30, according to NITI Aayog estimates. Enacted in 2020, the Code on Social Security legally recognised gig and platform workers for the first time and extended provisions for life and disability cover, health and maternity insurance, accident compensation, and old-age protection. The Code consolidates nine earlier labour laws and also provides for a National Social Security Board to oversee welfare delivery.
Complementing this framework, the e-Shram portal has registered over 309.8 million unorganised workers, including more than 337,000 platform workers as of 3 August 2025. Registrations are highest in Uttar Pradesh (8.39 crore), Bihar (3 crore), and West Bengal (2.64 crore), with notable female participation - 4.41 crore women workers in UP alone. Together, these initiatives mark a significant institutional step toward extending social protection to India’s digital and informal workforce.
Relevant question for policy stakeholders: How can India bridge the gap between the legal recognition of gig workers in the Social Security Code and the actual delivery of portable, enforceable benefits on the ground?
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