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India creates Social Security Board for gig workers in 2026

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a National Social Security Board for unorganised, gig and platform workers on 30 October 2026.
The board operates under the 2020 Code on Social Security to recommend welfare schemes for those workers.
Members include central and state government officials, aggregators, employers, civil-society groups, unions and gig-worker organisations.
The Union Minister of Labour and Employment chairs the board.

History

India’s nationwide job guarantee, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, was passed on 23 August 2005 and promised 100 days of wage work to every rural household, reaching over 5 million families in its first year. After its 2025 repeal, the 2026 Social Security Board, led by Minister Piyush Goyal with Uber and Swiggy, seeks to extend similar protections to gig workers under the 2020 Code.

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India’s nationwide job guarantee, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, was passed on 23 August 2005 and promised 100 days of wage work to every rural household, reaching over 5 million families in its first year. After its 2025 repeal, the 2026 Social Security Board, led by Minister Piyush Goyal with Uber and Swiggy, seeks to extend similar protections to gig workers under the 2020 Code.

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