Govt to extend social security benefits to 100 core workers by March 2026 as against 94 crore now: Mansukh Mandaviya
“India’s social security coverage has increased from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, an unprecedented increase of 45 percentage points in the last decade. The target is to increase social security benefits to 100 crore by the end of 2025-26,” Mandaviya said while speaking at IndiaEdge 2025 organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Wednesday. he said.
Citing data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), Mandaviya said 64% or 94 crore workers in the country are entitled to at least one social security benefit, second only to China, which provides social security to 107 crore workers.
Elaborating on the Labor Laws, Mandaviya said that the Laws provide provisions for both workers and the industry to help India attract foreign direct investment, ensure business growth and ensure adequate employment generation that will benefit women workers as well as youth.
“Our rules focus on youth and women. Providing mandatory appointment letters will provide official jobs and social security to our youth,” he said.
“Also allowing women to work night shifts and in hazardous industries, providing 26 weeks of maternity leave with an emphasis on equal pay for equal work will help strengthen gender balance and open opportunities for women,” he added.
Mandaviya reiterated that provisions such as mandatory annual medical examination for workers above 40 years of age, universal social security for all and bonus after one year of service will benefit millions of workers in the country.
He also added that provisions such as single registration and single license will help businesses with entities in different locations by significantly improving the ease of doing business and reducing compliances.
