ROLE OF E-SHRAM PORTAL AND GOVERNMENT WELFARE SCHEMES FOR GIG WORKERS

Author- Madhan S

BBA LLB (Hons), School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu Dr.Ambedkar Law University, Chennai.

Abstract

India's gig economy is expanding rapidly due to digital advancements and new technological developments that are reshaping how people work. As the gig workforce continues to grow and contribute to India's economy, many of these workers are still working outside traditional models of employer-employee, leaving them with little or no access to basic labour laws that protect themincluding minimum wage, social security, paid time off, and job security. Given these issues, the Government of India has taken legislative and policy steps to address the vulnerabilities of all unorganised workers.

One of the key milestones is the introduction of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which officially classifies gig workers as their own category and creates an avenue for extending social protection to them. To that end, the E-Shram Portal has been developed to provide a comprehensive national database of unorganised workers. E-Shram provides a Universal Account Number (UAN) and allows for streamlined access to multiple welfare schemes via a single digital platform. This provides greater ease-of-access to identifying unorganised workers and delivering benefits to them. Additionally, the integration of E-Shram with other government schemes and digital platforms provides greater ease-of-access for creating job opportunities, improving access to healthcare and insurance, and enhancing skill development opportunities

Additionally, there are ongoing struggles surrounding the legal classification or categorization of gig workers. Some of the recent advances (e.g., One-Stop Solution, platform integration) are indicative of progress being made towards improving the situation for gig workers in India. However, proper implementation and enforcement remains the key to their success. The blog emphasizes that ongoing regulatory efforts and carefully designed and executed policies will be necessary for providing gig workers with equitable protection, recognition and inclusion into the evolving labour ecosystem in India.

Introduction

The nature of work in India has undergone profound transformation with a steady rise in gig economy which is driven by the online era, advancement in technology and innovation along with change in business model. Despite their contribution to the economy, gig workers do not enjoy formal employer-employee relationship which excludes them from minimum wages, paid leave, job security and other social security benefits.

Recognizing these challenges, the Indian legislation has taken steps to address the welfare of unorganized workers, including gig and platform workers, through statutes and policy measures. A significant development in this regard is the enactment of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which formally acknowledges gig workers as a distinct category and lays the groundwork for extending social security benefits to them. However, the practical implementation of these protections requires an effective system for identifying and registering such workers.

In order to ensure the gig workers are recognised and protected, E-Shram Portal emerges as a crucial initiative with the objective of creating a comprehensive national database of unorganized workers, the portal seeks to facilitate the delivery of welfare benefits and improve policy formulation.

E-Shram Portal[1]

Launched in 26th Aug 2021 (eshram.gov.in) by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the portal acts as a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), designed to streamline the identification of workers and facilitate the effective delivery of welfare benefits and social security schemes directly to the workers. Upon registration on the E-Shram portal, workers are issued a unique identity card along with a Universal Account Number (UAN), which serves as a lifelong identification number. This UAN allows workers to seamlessly access various government schemes and ensures portability of benefits across different states and employment conditions.

As per the report of Ministry of Labour & Employment dated 11^th Aug 2025[2], A key recent development is the launch of the E-Shram “One-Stop Solution” in October 2024, which integrates multiple welfare schemes into a single digital platform, whereby the workers can access and track benefits directly. The portal has also been upgraded through the introduction of the Platform Aggregator Module in December 2024, which focuses specifically on onboarding digital platform companies and bringing gig workers within the formal welfare framework. Under the initiative, 12 major platform aggregators on boarded to the module such as Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, Ola, Amazon, and Urban Company.

Registration in E-Shram Portal

TheE-Shram Portal allows access to social security benefits for workers who are unorganised. It will also allow the development of a coherent data set to create targeted policies for unorganised workers in the future. This data set also enables the provision of timely assistance during national emergencies such as Covid-19. To register, workers between the ages of 16-59 must be non-income tax payees, as well as be a non-member of the EPFO or ESIC pension funds. Registration requires an Aadhaar Number (linked to a mobile number) and Bank Account details. Registration is available online via the E-Shram Portal and can also be done at any of the local Common Service Centre (CSC) registered in India and there is no cost associated with either option. Workers that have successfully registered will receive a UAN/E-Shram card that is valid for life and can be used anywhere in India.

Integration of E-Shram with other portals

The E-Shram Portal is undergoing various integrations to improve access to social security, employment and digital governance for unorganised workers. The portal has also been integrated with the PM Gati Shakti portal by linking workforce planning to infrastructure projects. Workers registered on E-Shram will have access to job opportunities linked to these large-scale national projects thereby enabling equitable economic participation.

Furthermore, the portal has received global recognition for its digital-first and inclusive approach towards unorganised workforce management. For instance, the E-Shram model was praised at both the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC) held in Geneva and the 4th Employment Working Group Meeting under India’s G20 Presidency as a model of best practices in workforce management due to its size and innovative methods (largest database of unorganised workforce in the world). In total, E-Shram has integrated 12 major Central Government Schemes (PMSBY, PMJJBY, AB-PMJAY, PM-SVANidhi, PMAY (Urban and Gramin), and MGNREGA) that provide insurance, health care, housing and employment support for the unorganised worker as well.

Also, E-Shram has connected other Government Portals including National Career Service (NCS), PM-SYM pension scheme, Skill India Digital Hub and myScheme enabling workers with UAN (Universal Account Number) to search for jobs, skill development opportunities, pensions and discovers relevant Government schemes and the aggregators.

As mentioned above, the One-Stop Solution, launched on 21 October 2024, consolidates multiple welfare and social security schemes on a single platform, allowing workers to access and track benefits seamlessly. E-Shram has also been integrated with the UMANG mobile application, enabling on-the-go registration and services; as of December 19, 2024, over 19,000 registrations were completed via UMANG. These integrations collectively strengthen social protection, formal recognition, and digital access for India’s gig and unorganised workforce.

Statistical data as to gig workers registration

As per the report ofMinistry of Labour & Employment dated 01^st Dec 2025[3], as on November 19, 2025, many unorganised workers who have registered for E-Shram have taken advantage of the various government welfare schemes provided by the government. The One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme has assisted 24.15 crore workers, while Ayushman Bharat - PradhanMantri Jan ArogyaYojana (AB-PMJAY) has assisted 15.10 crore workers. Some of the other major schemes include PradhanMantriSurakshaBimaYojana (PMSBY) with 8.49 crore beneficiaries, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with 6.16 crore beneficiaries, PradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) with 3.94 crore beneficiaries, and PradhanMantriJeevanJyotiBimaYojana (PMJJBY) with 2.25 crore beneficiaries of social security coverage.

Contemporary issue for gig workers in India

Gig workers in India, across multiple industries from manufacturing to digital, all struggle with many of the same problems as the nature of work is changing. Many delivery partners for delivery services like Zepto, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Ola have flat-out refused to work anymore because they are unhappy with their pay rates and hours. Recent strikes have taken place by Zepto delivery workers in Hyderabad, who were protesting insecurity related to their financial status and other working conditions. Some Blinkit delivery workers in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, found themselves deactivated from the app, and were forced to accept new terms and conditions to reactivate their accounts after they protested against working conditions. As per the NitiAayog[4] report in June 2022, during 2020-2021 there were approximately 7.7 million gig workers and project that this number will increase to approximately 23.5 million gig workers by 2030. Despite their importance to the digital economy as full-time workers (or employees), gig workers typically work in a grey area with respect to legal classification. As a result, they are often classified as either “partners” or “independent contractors,” and are therefore not protected under laws that confer protections on traditional employees. This lack of legal protection exposes gig workers to considerable risk from wage manipulation, arbitrary terminations, and the lack of any mechanisms for filing a grievance.

To tackle these challenges, the government has established regulations for gig economy workers through several pieces of legislation that have been passed in recent years. The legislation consists of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Wages, 2019, and Code on Social Security, 2020; all of which set minimum wage, health and safety, and social security standards for gig economy workers.

Complaints regarding wages, gratuity, maternity benefits, wrongful termination or any other grievance can be filed by gig economy workers through the Samadhan Portal and CPGRAMS. This will assist gig economy workers with filing timely and resolving their complaints.

Conclusion

The growth of Gig economy in India has transformed the labour landscape driven primarily by advancement in technological and innovation and rise in digital platforms. Gig workers are indeed major contributor financially to the economy but without a traditional employer-employee relationship they do not have the same job security, protection against arbitrary dismissal, or access to social safety nets. The legal framework establishing the rights of gig workers is set forth in the 2020 Code on Social Security (2020), 2020 Industrial Relations Code, and Code on Wages (2019) creates a legal definition of gig workers establishing legal protections and entitlements. E-Shram Portal is a critical element in addressing the challenges facing gig workers. E-Shram establishes a national registry for unorganised workers, issueing of Unique Account Numbers (UAN) to the workers, and connects multiple welfare plans to enable workers to benefit from and access social security funds, pensions, insurance, housing, and skill development opportunities. The functionality of E-Shram to provide a One-Stop Solution for gig workers and its linkages to UMANG, PM Gati Shakti, NCS, and leading aggregator companies (Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, and Ola) represent a substantial consolidation of the digital recognition and formal recognition of gig workers.

The dynamic nature of gig work requires continuous regulatory oversight, stricter enforcement of labour laws and more effective mechanisms for resolving complaints. To promote equitable growth in India’s digital economy and to keep platform operators flexible while providing workers with security, there must be continual efforts to create a balance between flexibility for platforms and the security for gig workers so that they will be recognized, and have the power, protection and fair compensation they need as part of the economic transformation towards a more just society. E-Shram represents a foundational effort to provide the infrastructure necessary to connect policies with practical welfare provision.

[1] E-Shram Portal, Ministry of Labour and Employment, available at: https://register.eshram.gov.in/#/user/self.

[2] Ministry Of Labour & Employment, “E-Shram Platform Enhancements”, (Aug, 2025)

[3] Ministry Of Labour & Employment, “Welfare Schemes for Gig Economy Workers”, (Dec, 2025)

[4]NitiAagog, “India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy - Perspectives and Recommendations on the Future of Work”, (June, 2022)

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