Secretary Sumita Dawra Chairs Meeting to Accelerate Integration of Platform Aggregators for Social Security Benefits under eShram Portal

Government focuses on seamless onboarding of platform workers for access to social security benefits as part of the Code on Social Security, 2020.

Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), chaired an important meeting today with representatives from major platform aggregators to monitor the integration of these platforms through API and the registration of platform workers on the eShram portal. The meeting saw the participation of platform aggregators from sectors such as ride-sharing, food and grocery delivery, logistics, and healthcare, along with officials from the Labour Bureau, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and other knowledge partners. Key Highlights of the Meeting:

Onboarding of Platform Aggregators and Workers: In her opening remarks, Ms. Dawra emphasized that the Government is committed to providing social security benefits to platform workers across India and is working towards developing a comprehensive framework for their welfare. She stressed that the onboarding of platform aggregators and workers is a vital step in ensuring the seamless delivery of these benefits, as outlined under the Code on Social Security, 2020. "The Government has launched an aggregator module on the eShram portal in December 2024, and we urge all platform aggregators to expedite the onboarding of their workers," she said.

Critical Role of Platform Aggregators: Ms. Dawra highlighted the critical role that platform aggregators play in the successful implementation of the initiative. She urged them to take full ownership of the onboarding process and complete it in a time-bound manner. "The success of this initiative depends largely on your participation and commitment," she said.

Monitoring of Progress: To ensure the effective implementation of the initiative, Ms. Dawra announced that progress would be monitored on a daily basis. This approach aims to ensure that platform workers can quickly and effectively access the social security benefits they are entitled to under the Code on Social Security. The Ministry will continue to track the integration of aggregators and the registration process on the eShram portal to ensure a seamless experience for all stakeholders.

Focus on Expedited Registration: The Secretary emphasized that this process is a mission mode initiative and requires the collective effort of all involved parties to complete the registration and integration tasks swiftly. She called for the active cooperation of platform aggregators to ensure that all platform workers are registered without delay, paving the way for smooth access to the envisaged social security benefits.

Government’s Commitment to Social Security for All Workers: The meeting also underscored the Government’s commitment to ensuring that platform workers are integrated into the national social security framework, which includes benefits like health insurance, accident coverage, and pensions, among others. The Code on Social Security, 2020 envisions extending these protections to a broad range of informal sector workers, including those employed by platform-based aggregators.

Involvement of Knowledge Partners and Economic Research Bodies: Officials from the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and other knowledge partners participated in the meeting, contributing insights into how the integration process can be streamlined and made more effective. Their input will be vital in refining the implementation strategy and ensuring that the platform workers can access the benefits efficiently.

Next Steps:

The Ministry of Labour and Employment will continue its engagement with platform aggregators to ensure the timely completion of the onboarding process. The daily monitoring of the integration progress will help keep the process on track, ensuring that platform workers across the country can access their social security benefits as soon as possible. Additionally, the Ministry will work on addressing any potential challenges that may arise during the registration process.

In conclusion, the meeting marked an important step towards achieving the vision of providing social security to platform workers and ensuring that the benefits of the Code on Social Security, 2020 reach all eligible individuals. With the active participation of platform aggregators and the continued support of government agencies and research bodies, the onboarding of platform workers on the eShram portal is expected to be completed soon, facilitating the effective delivery of social security benefits nationwide.