India Launches e-Shram Portal for Gig Workers

The Indian government is establishing a dedicated committee to formulate a social security framework for gig and platform workers, as announced by Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. During a meeting with representatives from major aggregators like Uber, Swiggy, and Zomato, Mandaviya emphasized the importance of registering gig workers on the e-Shram Portal to enable access to social security benefits. The size of India's gig economy is projected to reach $455 billion, highlighting the need for adequate protections for this workforce, which could expand to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. The Ministry has issued guidelines and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for aggregators to facilitate the registration process and maintain updated records. The Gig Workers Association has called for extending benefits such as employees' state insurance and provident funds to gig workers and has expressed support for the government's initiatives. A toll-free helpline has also been set up to assist with the registration process.