Despite a Union Budget 2025-26 announcement of healthcare coverage for gig workers via the e-Shram portal, only a small fraction of India's estimated gig workforce is actually registered. [3]
Highlights a recurring UPSC theme: data deficit in the informal/gig economy — welfare delivery is only as good as the underlying database. [1][3]
Tests cross-linkage between Labour Codes, social security architecture (Code on Social Security, 2020), NITI Aayog projections, and platform-based welfare delivery (e-Shram, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY). [3][4]
2. Why in the News
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech on 1 February 2025, announced healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY for gig workers registered on e-Shram, expected to benefit over 1 crore gig workers. [3]
Registration has since risen, but as per a Ministry of Labour and Employment reply in the Rajya Sabha on 29 January 2026 (latest public data), only 8.58 lakh gig workers were registered on e-Shram — even doubling this figure would cover only ~15% of the estimated gig workforce, leaving five out of six gig workers outside government reach. [3]
Exposes the gap between the 1-crore gig-worker estimate repeatedly cited in Parliament and actual on-ground registration/enumeration. [3]
3. Background & Evolution
e-Shram portal launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 26 August 2021 to build a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), Aadhaar-seeded, issuing a Universal Account Number (UAN). [1]
Registration is self-declaration based, free of cost, for workers aged 16–59 years, covering ~400 occupations across 30 broad sectors of the unorganised sector. [1]
By 19 December 2024, cumulative e-Shram registrations (all unorganised workers, not just gig workers) crossed 30.48 crore. [1]
NITI Aayog's "India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy" report (June 2022) is the foundational estimation source: 68 lakh (6.8 million) gig workers in 2019-20 (2.4% of non-farm workforce), rising to 77 lakh (7.7 million) in 2020-21 (2.6% of non-farm workforce), projected to reach 2.35 crore (23.5 million) by 2029-30 (6.7% of non-farm workforce, 4.1% of total livelihoods). [4]
2025-26 Budget extended gig-worker-specific benefits: e-Shram registration, identity cards, and PMJAY healthcare cover — building on the pre-existing but broader Code on Social Security, 2020 provisions for gig/platform workers. [3]
Economic: Gig/platform economy is framed as part of the "new age services economy"; underreporting undermines labour-market planning and social-security financing estimates. [3]
Social: Registration gap means the most precarious workers (no fixed employer, no PF/ESI) are excluded from healthcare access meant specifically for them. [3]
Administrative: Reveals implementation bottleneck — self-declaration model depends on worker awareness/agency and platform aggregator cooperation for onboarding; uneven uptake across States. [3]
Legal/Constitutional: Gig and platform workers were formally recognised as a distinct worker category under the Code on Social Security, 2020, which mandates a social security fund for them — e-Shram/PMJAY linkage operationalises this. [3]
Governance: Divergence between the 1-crore figure cited in Parliament and NITI Aayog's own 2020-21 figure of 77 lakh (and 2029-30 projection of 2.35 crore) shows absence of a single authoritative, updated enumeration methodology. [4]
6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)
1 February 2025: Budget 2025-26 speech announces e-Shram-linked identity cards and Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY healthcare cover for gig workers. [3]
29 January 2026: Ministry of Labour and Employment discloses in Rajya Sabha that only 8.58 lakh gig workers are registered on e-Shram — the latest public figure as of the news report date (2 September 2026). [3]
Government continues inviting platform aggregators to register themselves and their gig workers on e-Shram to close the enumeration gap. [1]
7. Prelims Hooks
e-Shram portal launched on 26 August 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. [1]
e-Shram gives registered workers a Universal Account Number (UAN). [1]
Eligible age group for e-Shram registration: 16–59 years. [1]
e-Shram covers roughly 400 occupations across 30 broad sectors. [1]
Registration on e-Shram is self-declaration based and free of cost. [1]
Total unorganised worker registrations on e-Shram crossed 30.48 crore by 19 December 2024. [1]
Budget 2025-26 announced Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY healthcare coverage for e-Shram-registered gig workers. [3]
FM Nirmala Sitharaman made this announcement on 1 February 2025. [3]
Government estimate: benefit to over 1 crore gig workers. [3]
As per RS reply dated 29 January 2026, only 8.58 lakh gig workers registered on e-Shram. [3]
NITI Aayog report title: "India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy" (June 2022). [4]
NITI Aayog 2020-21 estimate: 77 lakh gig workers = 2.6% of non-farm workforce. [4]
NITI Aayog projects 2.35 crore gig workers by 2029-30. [4]
Gig workers are recognised as a distinct category under the Code on Social Security, 2020. [3]
Nodal ministry for gig worker welfare policy: Ministry of Labour and Employment (not MeitY, despite platform-tech association). [1][3]
8. Mains Relevance
GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; issues relating to social security.
GS-III: Inclusive growth; employment; effects of liberalization on the economy; labour reforms and informal sector.
Code on Social Security, 2020 — statutory basis for gig/platform worker welfare fund.
Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY — the specific health scheme now extended to gig workers.
Four Labour Codes (Wages, IR, OSH, Social Security) — broader labour reform context.
National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW)/e-Shram — data infrastructure for informal sector.
NITI Aayog reports on Future of Work — methodological basis for gig economy sizing.
Rajasthan/Karnataka/Telangana gig worker welfare Acts (State-level laws) — federal dimension of gig worker protection.
Informal sector employment & PLFS data — comparative framework for workforce measurement.
Universal Basic Social Security debate — larger policy conversation on portable benefits.
10. Common Errors / Trap Areas
Confusing e-Shram (Ministry of Labour and Employment, launched 2021) with eShram-linked schemes administered by other ministries — it remains under Labour Ministry throughout.
Mixing up the NITI Aayog 2020-21 estimate (77 lakh) with the 2029-30 projection (2.35 crore) — these are different years, don't conflate.
Assuming "gig workers" and "platform workers" are legally identical — the Code on Social Security, 2020 defines them as related but distinct categories.
Treating the 1 crore figure from the Budget speech as an official enumeration — it is an estimate, not a verified registration count; actual verified registrations (8.58 lakh) are far lower.
Assuming e-Shram registration automatically confers PMJAY benefits — the scheme requires separate identity card issuance/linkage per the 2025-26 Budget announcement.