ESIC plans to bring gig, platform workers under social security net

Draft regulations aligned with the Code on Social Security, 2020 also propose new regional offices and a digital compliance framework ahead of expanded coverage

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), a statutory social security body, is preparing to overhaul its regulations and expand its administrative network to bring gig workers, platform workers, self-employed persons and other unorganised workers under its social security ambit, according to two people aware of the development.

 

The draft Employees' State Insurance (General) Regulations, 2026 seek to replace the existing ESI regulations and align them with the provisions of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which provides for coverage of gig and platform workers.

 

According to a copy of the draft reviewed by Business Standard, the proposed regulations expand ESIC's mandate to provide social security schemes for unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.

 

As part of the transition to the new labour code regime, ESIC is also planning to expand its administrative footprint. It has proposed opening five new sub-regional offices in Meghalaya, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, Rajkot in Gujarat, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and one other location.

 

According to a note to be placed before the ESIC board, these offices are being proposed in anticipation of a wider beneficiary base under the Code on Social Security, which includes gig workers, platform workers, self-employed persons and other unorganised workers. They will handle registration, compliance, contribution administration, benefit delivery and grievance redressal.

 

The proposal notes that ESIC's existing administrative structure was designed around the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948, and will need to be expanded as new categories of beneficiaries are brought under the Code.

 

The draft regulations also reflect ESIC's shift towards a digital compliance regime. Provisions relating to registration, identity cards, record-keeping and procedural compliance have been overhauled to enable system-based administration. The new regulations consolidate procedures covering registration, contributions, benefit delivery, inspections, enforcement, electronic records and appeals under a single framework aligned with the Code.

 

The proposals are expected to be taken up at the next ESIC meeting scheduled for June 30.

 

Emails sent to ESIC and the Ministry of Labour and Employment did not elicit a response till press time.

 

The regulations mark the first comprehensive rewrite of the ESIC regulatory framework since the Code on Social Security came into force.

 

According to the proposal, a review of the 1950 regulations found that a significant number of provisions had become outdated, with several omitted, rationalised or shifted to the Central Rules, while others were recast to reflect changes introduced under the Code.

 

ESIC, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, administers the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme, providing medical care and cash benefits to insured employees and their dependants. The scheme is funded through employer and employee contributions, with ESIC managing registration, contribution collection, healthcare delivery and benefit disbursal through its network of hospitals, dispensaries and offices.