India Notifies Two Social Security Boards Covering Gig Workers

India's Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of two national bodies: a 40-member National Social Security Board for unorganised workers and a separate 22-member board for gig and platform workers. The notification operationalises the Code on Social Security, which the ministry notified in November 2025 alongside three other labour codes, and it brings an estimated 23.5 million projected gig workers within the formal social security framework by 2029-30, according to NITI Aayog.

For employers, the most immediate obligation sits with aggregators. Companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy and Zomato must contribute 1-2% of their annual turnover to a dedicated Social Security Fund, with total contributions capped at 5% of the amount payable to workers. Platforms must also partner with the government to register every gig and platform worker, using an Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number that keeps benefits portable across state lines.

What changed under the Code?

The Code on Social Security merged nine existing laws and, for the first time in Indian law, defined "gig worker" and "platform worker." It mandated a national registration system and a dedicated fund for unorganised and gig workers.

The Code also removed a structural limit on EPFO coverage. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's provisions previously applied only to establishments listed in Schedule 1 of the Act, primarily manufacturing entities. They now apply to all establishments with 20 or more employees, regardless of industry, drawing workers from both the organised and unorganised sectors into one umbrella. Schemes under this expansion will be funded wholly or partly by central or state governments, or through corporate social responsibility contributions.

Who sits on the boards?

The Union Minister for Labour and Employment chairs both boards. The Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment serves as vice-chairperson on each.

The unorganised workers' board, with 40 members, includes:

• 7 representatives of unorganised sector workers
• 7 representatives of employers in the unorganised sector
• 7 eminent persons from civil society
• 3 parliamentary representatives — 2 from the Lok Sabha and 1 from the Rajya Sabha
• 10 members from central ministries and departments
• 5 members representing state governments
• 1 member representing union territories

The gig and platform workers' board, with 22 members, adds direct industry representation. Aggregators and quick-commerce operators including Eternal (Zomato's parent), Zepto, Swiggy and Urban Company hold seats. Worker representation comes from BMS, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU).

What do the boards actually do?

The Code requires each board to meet at least three times a year. Their core mandate is to recommend that the central government frame suitable schemes for different categories of unorganised, gig and platform workers.

Their assigned responsibilities include:

• Monitoring social welfare schemes for unorganised workers
• Reviewing expenditure from the social security fund and its accounts
• Reviewing state-level record-keeping for gig workers' welfare schemes
• Advising the central government on matters arising from administration of the Code
• Undertaking other functions assigned by the central government

How is the fund financed?

The Social Security Fund for gig and platform workers draws on three streams:

• Central and state government contributions
• Corporate social responsibility funds
• Fines collected through compounding

Benefits the Centre may frame schemes for include life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old age protection and crèche facilities.

Why it matters for people teams

Gig and platform workers receive statutory social security cover for the first time in India's labour history. The registration requirement touches platform HR operations directly, since platforms must coordinate enrolment at national scale. The NITI Aayog projection of 2.35 crore workers by 2029-30 gives the reform unusual reach, and the Aadhaar-linked UAN design addresses the inter-state mobility that defines much of this workforce.

The open questions are representational and operational. Whether board composition stays genuinely representative of worker interests, and whether promised benefits translate into timely, accessible support for a precariously employed population, will determine whether this reform closes a structural gap or leaves it merely documented. Employers can expect scheme design recommendations to emerge from the boards' first mandated meetings.