Centre asks platform aggregators to register workers on e-Shram portal

The government has invited platform aggregators to register their gig workers on the e-Shram portal that could help them access various social security benefits.

This registration is crucial to ensure workers' access to social welfare schemes, the Ministry of Labour and Employment in a statement said, adding that aggregators will help develop an accurate registry of beneficiaries.

"The Ministry of Labour & Employment has taken another major step in extending social security benefits to gig and platform workers by inviting platform aggregators to register their workers on the e-Shram portal," it said.

The e-Shram portal serves as a nationwide database of unorganised workers, designed to provide them with access to social security and welfare schemes.

To guide the process, the statement said the ministry has issued an advisory with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining aggregator responsibilities, including registering workers and updating their data.

Upon registration, platform workers will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will allow them access to key social security benefits, it added.

According to the statement, the central government, working with a few aggregators, has completed testing for API integration and is advancing the registration process.

This joint effort aims to ensure full coverage of gig workers, with ongoing collaboration between the ministry and platform aggregators, it said.

Through the guidelines, aggregators have also been requested to regularly update workers' details, including work engagement and payments.

Any workers' exit must be reported promptly to maintain accurate records, the statement said.

To assist with the onboarding of workers and aggregators, a toll-free helpline (14434) has been set up to provide information, guide registration, and resolve any technical issues encountered during the process.

The ministry has also scheduled a meeting with the aggregators on Wednesday that will be chaired by Union Labour and Employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya to sensitise and encourage them in this initiative.

According to a NITI Aayog report, India's gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore by 2029-30 from 77 lakh in 2020-21.

The report titled 'India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy' further said gig workers are expected to form 6.7 per cent of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1 per cent of the total livelihood in India by 2029-30.

Gig workers can be broadly classified into platform and non-platform workers. Platform workers are those whose work is based on online software apps or digital platforms while non-platform gig workers are generally casual wage workers, working part-time or full-time.