Key facts
- App-based platforms including Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Ola, Rapido, Blinkit, and Zepto must register their gig workers.
- The deadline for registration on the e-Shram portal is June 21.
- This initiative is intended to extend social security benefits to gig workers.
- A unique national identity will be issued to registered gig workers.
- Aggregators are required to report worker onboarding and exits on a daily basis.
The Indian government has mandated that app-based platforms, including Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Ola, Rapido, Blinkit, and Zepto, must register their gig workforce on the e-Shram portal by June 21. This directive, issued by the Ministry of Labour, follows the recent notification of rules under the Code on Social Security, which requires mandatory registration of gig and platform workers within 45 days.
The initiative aims to establish a comprehensive database of workers engaged by digital platforms, facilitating the rollout of welfare measures such as health insurance, life cover, and pension schemes. The registration process will also provide gig workers with a unique national identity, enhancing portability and formalizing a sector that largely operates within the informal economy.
Sources indicate that the government has been pushing for data sharing and worker registration for some time, but progress has been inconsistent. Sheikh Salauddin, co-founder of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), emphasized the need for aggregators to comply with the law promptly, stating that workers cannot afford further delays in receiving their welfare benefits.
Under the new rules, a gig or platform worker is defined as someone who works for at least 90 days in a year with a single aggregator or 120 days across multiple platforms. Aggregators are also obligated to report all new worker onboardings and exits on a real-time or daily basis through the central portal. The ministry has warned that failure to meet the June 21 deadline could lead to penal actions under the Social Security Code.