Social security, healthcare schemes to benefit 1 crore gig workers: Nirmala Sitharaman
The e-Shram portal registration and health insurance under PM-JAY will now be extended to gig workers, FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budger speech.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting her record eighth Union Budget this year, announced several measures to bring gig workers under social security safety nets.
The Finance Minister announced that e-Shram portal registration and insurance will now be extended to gig workers.
The e-Shram portal, launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in 2021, aims to create a national database of unorganised workers in India.
"Gig workers of online platforms provide great dynamism to the new-age services economy. Recognising their contribution, our government will arrange for their identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal," the FM said in the Lok Sabha.
Sitharaman also announced that gig workers would be provided health insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which is expected to benefit over 1 crore gig workers.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the world’s largest health assurance scheme, offering Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. It provides cashless healthcare access at empanelled hospitals, covering pre-existing conditions from day one.
Designed to prevent catastrophic medical expenses that push nearly 60 million Indians into poverty annually, PM-JAY covers three days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days of post-hospitalisation costs, including diagnostics and medicines. The scheme has no restrictions on family size, age, or gender, and its benefits are portable nationwide, allowing beneficiaries to receive treatment at any registered public or private hospital.
"This recognition finally makes us a part of the employment ecosystem, not just invisible workers. With social security coverage, we can work with dignity, knowing we have a safety net when we need it most," says Muhammad Arif, who has been working as a delivery partner with Swiggy, Zomato, and Blinkit for the last four years.
For context, the largest employers in India today after Indian Railways are Swiggy and Zomato. Zomato alone had employed 1.5 million delivery partners in 2024.
Gig workers, who largely work as delivery partners, often work under pressure to keep strict deadlines and long hours on roads, which makes them prone to accidents and other road-related incidents. Most companies hire gig workers as contractual employees and not full-time employees. This means they cannot access any social security benefits. However, Swiggy and Zomato have started providing insurance in recent years.
"With India's gig economy projected to create 90 million jobs and contribute 1.25% to GDP, structured skilling and apprenticeship programs are essential to ensuring their long-term employability. Insights from the TeamLease EdTech Gig Economy Skills Report highlight that while 75% of employers prioritise technical and digital skills, 42% identify a lack of industry-specific knowledge as a major barrier," said Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech.
"The government must incentivise corporate-led upskilling, CSR-driven initiatives, and apprenticeship-based training to integrate gig workers into India’s formal economy, driving sustainable employment and economic participation," he added.
(The copy was updated with quotes.)
Edited by Kanishk Singh