Majority of India’s gig workers remain out of govt.’s reach
A significant gap exists between the Indian government's gig worker registration figures and the actual size of the workforce. Despite budget announcements for healthcare, most gig workers remain unregistered and ineligible for benefits.
Why it matters
It exposes the challenges of social security implementation and data accuracy in the rapidly expanding informal gig economy.
The Union government, recognising the contribution of gig workers to the “new age services economy” in its 2025-26 Budget, announced healthcare coverage for gig workers who are registered on the e-Shram portal launched in 2021. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who made the announcement in her Budget speech on February 1, 2025, said the measure is expected to benefit over one crore gig workers.
Though the registration of gig workers has since gained momentum, the gap in numbers not only shows that a majority of such workers are yet to benefit from the announcement, but also points to inadequacies in measuring and understanding the rapidly growing size of the country’s gig workforce.
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