5 Years of e-Shram Portal: 31.89 Crore Workers and India’s Social Security Push
Why in News?
The e-Shram Portal completed five years on 26 August 2026, marking an important milestone in India's attempt to build a comprehensive social-security system for workers in the unorganised sector.
Launched on 26 August 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, e-Shram created India's first Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
As of 18 August 2026, the portal had recorded 31.89 crore registrations. Every registered worker receives a unique 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN).
The portal has gradually evolved from a worker registry into a One-Stop Solution connecting workers with social-security schemes, employment opportunities, skilling, apprenticeship and pension services.
What is the e-Shram Portal?
The e-Shram Portal is a national digital platform for registering workers in India's unorganised sector.
It was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Its core objective is to create a reliable national database that can help governments identify unorganised workers and deliver welfare benefits more efficiently.
Basic facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Portal | e-Shram |
| Launched | 26 August 2021 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Labour & Employment |
| Developed by | National Informatics Centre |
| Database | National Database of Unorganised Workers |
| Identification | 12-digit Universal Account Number |
| Registrations | 31.89 crore |
| Registration cost | Free |
Who is an Unorganised Worker?
For the purpose of e-Shram, unorganised workers include people such as:
- Agricultural labourers
- Construction workers
- Domestic workers
- Migrant workers
- Street vendors
- Home-based workers
- Self-employed workers
- Gig workers
- Platform workers
The official definition also covers certain workers in the organised sector who are not covered by EPFO or ESIC and are not government employees.
This is important because a very large share of India's workforce works outside conventional employer–employee arrangements.
Key Objectives of e-Shram
The portal was designed for much more than simply counting workers.
1. Create a National Worker Database
Before e-Shram, information about unorganised workers was scattered across multiple states, departments and welfare schemes.
A common database makes it easier to:
Identify workers → understand their occupations → determine eligibility → deliver benefits
2. Improve Welfare Convergence
Many social-security schemes are run by different ministries.
e-Shram attempts to bring information and access to these schemes onto a single digital platform.
This reduces fragmentation in welfare delivery.
3. Improve Benefit Portability
Portability is particularly important for migrant workers.
A worker may:
Live in Bihar → work in Delhi → move to Gujarat → return home
A welfare system tied only to one physical location can exclude such workers.
e-Shram seeks to create a national worker identity that can support portable social-security benefits across states.
4. Support Evidence-Based Policymaking
A reliable database can help governments understand:
- Occupation-wise workforce distribution
- Gender composition
- Age profile
- State-wise distribution
- Migration patterns
- Gig and platform employment
Such information can improve the design of future labour and welfare policies.
5. Improve Emergency Response
One lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was that governments often lacked reliable information about migrant and informal workers.
A national worker database can help governments identify vulnerable groups more quickly during:
- Pandemics
- Natural disasters
- Economic shocks
- Large-scale migration crises
e-Shram One-Stop Solution
A major transformation came with the launch of the e-Shram One-Stop Solution on 21 October 2024.
The portal now connects workers with welfare, employment, pension and skilling services.
It brings together 15 social-security and welfare schemes on one platform.
Important schemes linked with the platform include:
- Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM)
- Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
- Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
- National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
- One Nation One Ration Card
- Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin
The portal also connects workers with:
- National Career Service for employment
- Skill India Digital Hub for skilling
- Apprenticeship opportunities
- myScheme for discovering eligible government schemes
Important Social-Security Benefits
PMSBY
Under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, eligible workers can receive:
- ₹2 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability
- ₹1 lakh for partial disability
PMJJBY
The Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana provides:
- ₹2 lakh life-insurance cover in the event of death due to any cause.
PM-SYM
Eligible unorganised workers can enrol in Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan.
It provides a minimum assured pension of:
₹3,000 per month after the age of 60
subject to eligibility and contribution requirements.
e-Shram in Numbers: Five-Year Progress
The latest official data provides useful insights into India's unorganised workforce.
Total Registrations
31.89 crore workers
registered as of 18 August 2026.
Gender Distribution
- Women: 54.28%
- Men: 45.72%
This means women form the majority of registered workers.
Age Profile
Approximately:
- 55.21% are aged 18–40 years
- 24.18% are aged 40–50 years
- 20.53% are above 50 years
Major Occupational Categories
The largest registration categories include:
- Agriculture
- Domestic and household work
- Construction
- Apparel
Top States
The five states with the highest registrations are:
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
- West Bengal
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
Why is the High Share of Women Important?
Women constitute 54.28% of e-Shram registrations.
This is important because women are disproportionately represented in several forms of informal employment, including:
- Agricultural labour
- Domestic work
- Home-based work
- Piece-rate employment
- Care work
- Informal services
Many such workers traditionally lack:
- Written contracts
- Paid leave
- Pension
- Insurance
- Maternity benefits
- Employment security
A national database can improve their visibility within public policy.
However, registration alone does not guarantee social security.
The real measure of success is whether registration leads to reliable access to insurance, pension, healthcare and other benefits.
Gig and Platform Workers: A Growing Dimension
One of the most important recent developments is the inclusion of gig and platform workers.
Around 11.5 lakh platform workers had registered on e-Shram according to the latest government update.
Who is a gig worker?
A gig worker generally earns income through short-term or task-based work rather than a traditional permanent employment relationship.
Examples may include:
- Delivery workers
- Cab drivers
- Freelancers
- Online service providers
Platform workers
Platform workers obtain work through digital platforms or apps connecting customers and service providers.
The rise of such employment creates new opportunities but also raises questions about:
- Social-security contributions
- Insurance
- Occupational safety
- Income stability
- Employment status
- Algorithmic management
The inclusion of platform workers in e-Shram can provide a basic database for designing future social-protection measures.
Multilingual Access Through BHASHINI
Digital welfare platforms can exclude workers who are unable to use English or Hindi comfortably.
To reduce this barrier, multilingual functionality powered by BHASHINI was introduced on e-Shram in 22 languages in 2025.
This is a useful example of:
Digital Public Infrastructure + Indian-language technology + welfare delivery
e-Shram and Migrant Workers
Migrant workers are among the most important target groups of e-Shram.
The portal includes provisions for recording family details of migrant workers.
It can also support nationwide portability of welfare benefits.
This becomes particularly important because migrant workers often face:
- Frequent change of residence
- Lack of local documentation
- Informal employment
- Weak employer-based social security
- Difficulty accessing state-specific benefits
e-Shram therefore attempts to shift welfare from a location-based model towards a worker-linked model.
e-Shram and Construction Workers
The portal also allows worker data to be shared with States and Union Territories for registration with Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Boards.
This can help connect registered construction workers with welfare funds and benefits administered by the respective boards.
Why e-Shram Matters for India's Economy
1. Makes Informal Workers Visible
Informal workers often remain invisible in administrative databases.
Registration improves their visibility to policymakers.
2. Strengthens Social Protection
Workers outside EPFO and ESIC need alternative mechanisms for:
- Insurance
- Pension
- Welfare assistance
- Employment support
e-Shram can serve as a common digital backbone for such programmes.
3. Supports Labour Mobility
India's labour market is highly mobile.
A portable national identity can reduce the loss of benefits when workers move between states.
4. Supports Inclusive Growth
Economic growth cannot be truly inclusive if workers lack protection against:
- Accidents
- Illness
- Old age
- Unemployment
- Economic shocks
Social security can therefore improve both worker welfare and economic resilience.
5. Supports Formalisation of Information
e-Shram does not automatically convert informal jobs into formal jobs.
But it helps formalise information about informal workers.
This distinction is important.
Formalisation of workers' data ≠ Formalisation of employment
A worker may possess a UAN but still have:
- No permanent employer
- No written contract
- No regular wage
- No employer-sponsored pension
Constitutional Linkage
Social security is closely linked with the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Article 41
The State should make effective provision for:
- Right to work
- Education
- Public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement
Article 42
Provides for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
Article 43
Calls for securing a living wage and decent conditions of life for workers.
Thus, programmes such as e-Shram can be viewed within India's broader constitutional objective of becoming a welfare state.
Major Challenges
Despite its scale, e-Shram still faces important policy challenges.
1. Registration vs Actual Benefits
A large database is valuable, but registration numbers alone cannot measure welfare outcomes.
The important question is:
How many registered workers actually receive social-security benefits?
2. Updating Worker Information
Workers frequently:
- Change occupations
- Move between states
- Enter or exit formal employment
- Change mobile numbers
- Shift between platforms
The database must remain dynamic and accurate.
3. Digital Divide
Some workers may face difficulties due to:
- Limited digital literacy
- Poor internet connectivity
- Language barriers
- Lack of access to smartphones
Common Service Centres therefore remain important.
4. Awareness
Many workers may register without fully understanding which schemes they can access.
Registration must therefore be accompanied by last-mile awareness and assistance.
5. Gig-Worker Social Security
Registering gig workers is only the first step.
India still needs effective mechanisms covering:
- Accident insurance
- Health protection
- Old-age security
- Income shocks
- Contribution sharing between workers, platforms and government
6. Data Protection
A database containing information on hundreds of millions of workers requires:
- Strong cybersecurity
- Purpose limitation
- Controlled data sharing
- Transparency
- Robust grievance mechanisms
Social-security efficiency must therefore be balanced with data protection and privacy.
Mains Insight
e-Shram represents an important shift in India's welfare architecture.
Earlier approach
Scheme → identify beneficiaries separately → deliver benefits
Emerging approach
Common worker database → identify eligibility → connect multiple schemes → portable benefits
This represents movement from a scheme-centric welfare architecture towards a worker-centric welfare architecture.
However, its success will ultimately depend on whether:
Digital identification becomes real social protection.
Way Forward
India should focus on five priorities.
1. Universal and updated registration
Workers should be able to update occupation, address and employment status easily.
2. Deeper scheme convergence
More central and state welfare schemes should become interoperable with e-Shram.
3. Automatic eligibility discovery
Workers should be informed automatically about schemes for which they qualify.
4. Strengthen portability
Benefits should follow migrant workers across states.
5. Measure outcomes, not only registrations
Government dashboards should increasingly measure:
- Benefits delivered
- Insurance enrolments
- Pension enrolments
- Employment linkages
- Skill placements
The future of e-Shram should therefore be:
Registration → Identification → Entitlement → Portability → Social Protection
Why This Topic is Relevant to UPSC/State PCS
GS Paper II
- Welfare schemes
- Vulnerable sections
- Social justice
- Digital governance
- Government policies and interventions
GS Paper III
- Employment
- Informal economy
- Inclusive growth
- Labour market
- Gig economy
GS Paper I
- Women
- Migration
- Urbanisation and workforce changes
Important Prelims Terms
e-Shram → Ministry of Labour & Employment
Developed by → NIC
Database → NDUW
Worker ID → 12-digit UAN
Launch → 26 August 2021
One-Stop Solution → 21 October 2024
Related UPSC Previous Year Questions
There has not been a major UPSC CSE question directly centred on the five-year e-Shram milestone, but these PYQs are closely linked to its themes.
UPSC Mains 2021 – GS Paper I
“Examine the role of ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India.”
Current Link: e-Shram now provides a national registration platform for gig and platform workers, making social protection in the gig economy an even stronger contemporary dimension.
UPSC Prelims 2022
UPSC asked which institution compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers.
Answer: Labour Bureau.
Current Link: Both the Labour Bureau and e-Shram illustrate the importance of reliable labour data for policymaking, although their roles are different.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the e-Shram Portal, consider the following statements:
- It was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
- It creates a National Database of Unorganised Workers.
- Every registered worker receives a 12-digit Universal Account Number.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: All three statements are correct.
Q2. The e-Shram Portal was developed by:
(a) NITI Aayog
(b) National Informatics Centre
(c) UIDAI
(d) Labour Bureau
Answer: (b) National Informatics Centre
Explanation: NIC developed the portal for the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Q3. Which of the following workers may be covered under e-Shram?
- Migrant workers
- Construction workers
- Gig workers
- Domestic workers
- Agricultural workers
Select the correct answer:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2, 4 and 5 only
(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (d)
Explanation: e-Shram covers a wide range of unorganised workers, including all the categories listed above.
Q4. With reference to e-Shram, consider the following pairs:
| Feature | Description |
| UAN | Universal Account Number |
| NDUW | National Database of Unorganised Workers |
| NCS | Employment opportunities |
| Skill India Digital Hub | Skilling support |
How many pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (d) All four
Q5. Consider the following statements:
- Registration on e-Shram is free.
- e-Shram has multilingual functionality in 22 languages.
- The One-Stop Solution integrates multiple welfare and social-security schemes.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Mains Practice Questions
Q1.
“e-Shram has transformed the visibility of India's unorganised workforce, but registration must translate into effective social protection.” Discuss.
Q2.
How can digital public infrastructure improve portability and delivery of social-security benefits for migrant and unorganised workers in India?
Q3.
The growth of the gig economy requires a redesign of traditional social-security systems. Examine with reference to India's emerging labour-welfare architecture.
FAQs
What is e-Shram?
e-Shram is a national portal created to build a comprehensive database of unorganised workers and connect them with welfare, employment, skilling and social-security services.
When was e-Shram launched?
It was launched on 26 August 2021.
Which ministry operates e-Shram?
The Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Who developed the portal?
The National Informatics Centre (NIC).
What is NDUW?
It stands for National Database of Unorganised Workers.
What is UAN in e-Shram?
It is a unique 12-digit Universal Account Number issued to every registered worker.
How many workers are registered?
As of 18 August 2026, the portal had 31.89 crore registrations.
Are gig workers covered?
Yes. Around 11.5 lakh platform workers had registered according to the five-year government update.
Is registration free?
Yes. Workers are not required to pay a registration fee.
Conclusion
Five years after its launch, e-Shram has become one of India's largest labour-welfare digital platforms, with nearly 32 crore registered workers.
Its greatest contribution is the creation of a common national identity and database for people who have historically remained outside conventional employment-based social-security systems.
However, the next phase will be more important than the first.
The objective must now move from:
“How many workers are registered?”
to:
“How many workers receive portable, reliable and meaningful social protection?”
If e-Shram successfully integrates welfare schemes, employment opportunities, skilling and portable benefits, it can become a central pillar of India's transition towards a more inclusive and worker-centred social-security system.
Sources
- Press Information Bureau — 5 Years of e-Shram Portal, 25 August 2026
- Official e-Shram Portal — Ministry of Labour & Employment
- e-Shram Worker Registration Portal
- Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan
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