The Ministry of Labour and Employment in New Delhi has urged gig and platform workers to register on the e-Shram Portal for formal recognition and access to AB-PMJAY benefits. This move follows Union Budget 2025-26 announcements, targeting healthcare coverage and identity issuance for these workers, with Niti Aayog projecting significant employment growth in this sector.
Ministry of Labour and Employment on Saturday said it has urged gig and platform workers to register on the e-Shram Portal for formal recognition and access to AB-PMJAY benefits. The gig and platform economy is expanding, offering new jobs in sectors like ridesharing, delivery, logistics, and professional services, a labour minister statement said
Niti Aayog has projected that the gig economy in India will employ over 1 crore workers in 2024-25, subsequently reaching 2.35 crore by 2029-30, it added.
Recognising the contribution of the gig and platform workers to the nation’s economy, Union Budget 2025-26 has announced provisions for registration of online platform workers on the e-Shram portal, issuance of identity cards, and healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The AB-PMJAY health scheme provides a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation across over 31,000 public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
For early implementation of these Budget provisions, the Ministry of Labour and Employment will soon launch the scheme.