On December 1, 2025, reports from New Delhi suggested that the Union Labour Ministry is developing a national framework for gig and platform workers under the newly notified Labour Codes. The goal is to establish a uniform social security standard for millions of app-based workers across India, instead of leaving platforms to navigate through a labyrinth of varying state laws. The blueprint, drawing from the Code on Social Security, 2020, and earlier proposals, is expected to clarify definitions of gig and platform work, set norms for aggregator contributions to welfare funds, and standardize registration processes via portals like e-Shram. Aggregators have reportedly been advocating for clarity, arguing that managing compliance is impossible if each state creates its own radically different obligations.
For workers, the prospect of a national framework elicits a combination of hope and skepticism. Hope, because many currently manage multiple platforms and cities with little clarity on their registration, the benefits they can claim, or whether contributions made in one state can be transferred to another. Skepticism, because previous experiences with welfare boards and schemes have often resulted in complex paperwork, low awareness, and benefits that seem distant from daily struggles with fuel costs, debt, and algorithmic penalties. Many workers express a simple desire: predictable minimum earnings, insurance that actually compensates when accidents occur, and a means to appeal unfair deactivations to a human body that has authority over platforms. HR and policy leaders are aware that unless worker voices are incorporated into the design, a national framework risks becoming another well-intentioned document that does not alter lived reality.
From a compliance and leadership perspective, the blueprint could be a turning point. Aggregators may face clear, nationwide obligations to contribute 1-2% of turnover to social security funds, maintain accurate worker registries, and cooperate with tripartite boards that include worker representatives and state officials. This will necessitate robust internal data systems, governance committees, and legal strategies that transition from contesting classification to responsibly managing obligations. For CHROs and CSR heads in platform companies, the framework also presents an ESG opportunity: they can shape policies that exceed the minimum, such as supplementing government benefits, providing mental health support, or developing shared training programs. The strategic question is whether platforms choose to engage constructively now or wait until litigation and public pressure enforce stricter, less flexible rules.
What should be the non-negotiable basics in a national gig-worker welfare framework — minimum earnings, insurance, grievance rights, portability, or something else? How can platforms and worker groups be genuinely involved in the co-design of these rules, rather than merely reacting after they are written?
For workers, the prospect of a national framework elicits a combination of hope and skepticism. Hope, because many currently manage multiple platforms and cities with little clarity on their registration, the benefits they can claim, or whether contributions made in one state can be transferred to another. Skepticism, because previous experiences with welfare boards and schemes have often resulted in complex paperwork, low awareness, and benefits that seem distant from daily struggles with fuel costs, debt, and algorithmic penalties. Many workers express a simple desire: predictable minimum earnings, insurance that actually compensates when accidents occur, and a means to appeal unfair deactivations to a human body that has authority over platforms. HR and policy leaders are aware that unless worker voices are incorporated into the design, a national framework risks becoming another well-intentioned document that does not alter lived reality.
From a compliance and leadership perspective, the blueprint could be a turning point. Aggregators may face clear, nationwide obligations to contribute 1-2% of turnover to social security funds, maintain accurate worker registries, and cooperate with tripartite boards that include worker representatives and state officials. This will necessitate robust internal data systems, governance committees, and legal strategies that transition from contesting classification to responsibly managing obligations. For CHROs and CSR heads in platform companies, the framework also presents an ESG opportunity: they can shape policies that exceed the minimum, such as supplementing government benefits, providing mental health support, or developing shared training programs. The strategic question is whether platforms choose to engage constructively now or wait until litigation and public pressure enforce stricter, less flexible rules.
What should be the non-negotiable basics in a national gig-worker welfare framework — minimum earnings, insurance, grievance rights, portability, or something else? How can platforms and worker groups be genuinely involved in the co-design of these rules, rather than merely reacting after they are written?