Majority of India's Gig Workers Remain Outside the e-Shram Safety Net

Gist The Union Budget 2025-26 announced healthcare coverage for gig workers registered on the e-Shram portal , aiming to benefit over one crore individuals in the new-age services economy. However, recent data reveals that only 8.58 lakh gig workers have registered so far, leaving roughly five out of six platform workers entirely outside the government's welfare net. For an aspirant, this highlights a critical gap in labor governance: the state's ongoing inability to accurately enumerate the rapidly expanding gig economy and integrate it into statutory social security frameworks. Background The e-Shram portal , launched in 2021 , functions as an Aadhaar-seeded National Database of Unorganised Workers NDUW . It serves as the unified platform for tracking unorganized workers, making registration a mandatory prerequisite for availing state benefits. Historically, platform-based workers operated in a regulatory grey area without formal employer-employee recognition. The government officially defined the term "gig worker" for the first time in the Code on Social Security, 2020 which came into force last year , mandating accident insurance, maternity benefits, and a dedicated social security fund. Currently, the state…