Extension of social protection to gig and platform workers in India

Background

Social protection is a human right and essential to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The emergence of the gig or platform economy is one of the most important new transformations in the world of work. Social protection for India’s informal workforce has consistently been an important policy mandate pursued by the Indian Government. India has clearly laid out that gig and platform economy and social protection are priority areas for the Employment Work Group. The Code on Social Security, enacted in 2020, has further consolidated the labour laws relating to social security for both organized and unorganized sectors.

According to NITI Aayog’s Gig Economy Report 2022, the gig workforce is expected to expand to 23.5 million workers by 2029-30. The gig workers are expected to form 6.7 per cent of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1 per cent of the total livelihood in India by 2029-30. Given the urgency for the development of social security frameworks, the ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India is undertaking the project “Extension of social protection to gig and platform workers in India”, supported by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The proposed project contributes to promoting decent work and policy measures by framing new social security schemes for location-based platform workers. Further, in the process of designing the new social security schemes, the project intends to facilitate social dialogue by tripartite constituents and support the government and social partners to strengthen the knowledge basis of extending social protection to gig and platform workers.

The project, through its various activities, including workshops and meetings with key government stakeholders at the central and state levels, will work to support the Indian Government's vision for identifying the challenges and creating better opportunities for gig and platform workers.

Target beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries are social partners and government institutions overseeing the design of social security schemes, particularly for unorganized workers, including gig and platform workers. Ultimate beneficiaries are Indian gig and platform workers, especially those who are not currently covered by any forms of social protection and their family members.

For further information, contact:

Ms Mariko Ouchi
Senior Social Protection Specialist - [email protected]

Mr Karun Gopinath
National Project Coordinator - [email protected]
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