Corporate India's health insurance safety net doesn't cover everyone

Majority of staff in key business sectors lack protection, shows data from listed companies

As the Industrial Revolution spread, guilds and unions pushed for workers’ medical insurance in the US and Europe. The Granite Cutters Union, in 1877, and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, in 1913, were pioneers in ensuring worker protection.

Maharashtra announced universal healthcare for all citizens in June, a heartening measure in a state where many of India’s largest companies are based. Nearly a fifth of those working in major Indian firms do not have health insurance coverage, shows a Business Standard analysis of data covering 1.3 million people working for 25 firms on the S&P BSE 100