India Presents Landmark Labour Reforms & Social Security Gains at 113th ILO Conference in Geneva.
International
From 2–13 June 2025, India actively participated in the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) held in Geneva, Switzerland, where it put the global spotlight on its comprehensive labour code reforms and dramatic rise in social security coverage.
- The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Labour & Employment), alongside state ministers, senior IAS officers, and representatives from both employers’ and workers’ organisations. This strong presence underscored India’s proactive role in shaping global labour standards.
- India showcased its successful consolidation of 29 legacy labour laws into four modern codes—covering wages, industrial relations, occupational safety, and social security. These reforms aim to streamline compliance, enhance worker rights, and formalise the labour market.
- Citing new ILO data, Minister Mandaviya highlighted a dramatic increase in social security coverage, which rose from just 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025—now covering approximately 940 million Indians, making India the second-largest country globally in terms of coverage.
Main Point :- (i) Mandaviya also reported that India’s unemployment rate dropped from ~6% in 2017 to 3.2% in 2024, with over 75 million formal-sector jobs created. The Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme—budgeted at USD 12.8 billion—is expected to further boost employment and facilitate transitions from informal to formal work.
(ii) Reflecting on emerging labour dynamics, India emphasized its commitment to gig and platform workers, projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030. The e-Shram portal, which now includes over 300 million unorganised sector workers, was highlighted as a key tool for targeted social protection
(iii) During the ILC plenary and side-events, India supported the development of new international standards on biological hazards at work and decent work in digital economies. The delegation also stressed context-sensitive implementation of global norms, particularly for MSMEs and informal workers.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Director-General (DG) : Gilbert F. Houngbo
Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
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