Labour Reforms

India's social protection coverage increased to over 100 crore citizens in 2026, up from 25 crore in 2015, according to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The minister, in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, highlighted the landmark validation of the country's social security landscape by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). "India breaches 1 billion mark in Social Protection Coverage!" Mandaviya wrote on X, thanking ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo "for acknowledging India's efforts towards expanding social protection coverage". In the same post, the minister laid out the scale of the shift: "Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India's social protection coverage has grown from 25 crore citizens (19 per cent) in 2015 to over 100 crore citizens (68.4 per cent) in 2026, reflecting the Modi government's commitment to Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. The numbers mark one of the steepest expansions of social security coverage recorded

Former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia urged states to liberalise retrenchment norms and cut duties on industrial inputs to strengthen manufacturing competitiveness

We have missed the bus before, but now reforms must become part of everyday conversation

States asked to integrate portals as government moves towards a common labour administration framework

India participated in a Global Coalition for Social Justice meeting in Geneva, reaffirming its engagement with the ILO-led initiative on labour rights and social protection

The Centre has notified final rules under the Industrial Relations Code and Code on Wages, along with Model Standing Orders for key sectors

Indian Staffing Federation names new leadership for 2026-28 as contract staffing expands across sectors, supported by rising demand and policy engagement

Germany is running out of workers, and it’s now looking at India to fill the gap. From visa reforms to higher salaries, this shift could redefine migration trends and job opportunities for Indians.

The Labour Ministry accounted for the highest share of grievances filed with the Centre in 2025 till November, driven mainly by EPFO-related complaints, according to DARPG data

Earlier, safety regulations in this sector relied mainly on the Factories Act, 1948, which provided a limited, factory-centric approach to hazardous industries

The new codes, consolidating 29 laws, promise enhanced social security for gig workers and women, amid data showing rising wages but high wealth inequality

Reforms modernise a tangled legal regime and open new opportunities, yet overtime rules, size controls and paternalistic mandates still limit true choice for workers

India's overhaul merges 29 labour laws into four codes, reshaping minimum wages, gig-worker social security, industrial relations, and workplace safety through unified rules and digital compliance

From national floor wages to fixed-term employment, the reforms introduce long-awaited changes, but uniform state-level adoption is key to avoiding fresh complexity

While the new rules offer social security and minimum-wage benefits, they also allow companies to hire and fire workers more easily

Eternal Ltd on Saturday welcomed the implementation of the four labour codes, which it said will help strengthen the social security access for gig workers, including for it Zomato and Blinkit businesses. In a regulatory filing, Eternal, the parent entity of Zomato and Blinkit said it does not think the financial impact on account of these rules will be detrimental to long-term health and sustainability of its business. The government on Friday notified the four labour codes, which have rationalised 29 existing labour laws. These will formalise employment, strengthen worker protection, and make the labour ecosystem simpler, safer and globally aligned. The four labour codes are -- the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Under the new codes, 'gig work', 'platform work', and 'aggregators' have been defined for the first time. The codes stipulate that aggregat

The industry body said the Codes will bring clearer terms, stronger protections and uniform benefits for contract, gig and platform workers

The jobless rate in rural areas fell to 4.4 per cent from 4.6 per cent during this period

Over 18 million workers were employed in Saudi Arabia in the second quarter of 2025 (Q2 CY2025). Out of these, nearly 77.5 per cent were foreign workers

If we implement with speed, transparency and collaboration, the Codes can anchor India's next growth chapter