The Ministry of Labour and Employment in India has officially notified the creation of the National Social Security Board (NSSB) for Unorganised Workers, Gig, and Platform Workers under the 2020 Code on Social Security, signaling a major move to extend social protections across the growing gig economy.
- NSSB formed to govern social security for gig and platform workers under 2020 Code.
- Board headed by Union Labour Minister with diverse stakeholder representation.
- Code requires aggregators to contribute 1-2% of turnover toward welfare funds.
What happened
The Indian Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of the National Social Security Board (NSSB) focused on unorganised workers, including gig and platform workers. This move is part of implementing the Code on Social Security, 2020, which consolidates various labor laws into a unified framework to extend social benefits across sectors. The NSSB will be chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and include representatives from central and state governments, industry aggregators, worker unions, and civil society groups.
The Code formally recognizes gig and platform workers as workers eligible for government welfare schemes. It came into effect in November 2025 and mandates eligible platform companies to contribute between 1% and 2% of their annual turnover to social security funds. These measures aim to enhance protections in India’s rapidly expanding gig economy, including sectors such as food delivery, ride-hailing, and ecommerce.
Why it matters
This development marks a significant step in bridging the social security gap for workers in India’s informal and gig sectors, who have traditionally lacked access to benefits like pensions, health insurance, and maternity leave. The NSSB will oversee the design, monitoring, and administration of specialized schemes targeted at these workers, enhancing their financial and social protection.
For platform companies such as Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Ola, Uber, Amazon, and Flipkart, this introduces new regulatory responsibilities and financial contributions. This could affect operational costs and governance structures in India’s platform economy, urging companies to align with emerging social protections mandates while supporting the welfare of a large, previously unprotected workforce.
What to watch next
Stakeholders will be closely monitoring the NSSB’s first meetings and the specific social security schemes it recommends to the government. How swiftly and effectively these schemes are rolled out at central and state levels will be critical to their impact on gig workers’ welfare.
States like Karnataka are also taking parallel initiatives with their own Gig Workers’ Welfare Boards, indicating a layered approach to social protection in India. The response by platform operators to compliance obligations and fund contributions will be important to watch, as this could influence sector dynamics and workforce relations across the country.