New Delhi, July 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Centre on Friday said India’s social protection system now covers around 101 crore people, accounting for more than 68 per cent of the country’s population, a milestone that has also been recognised by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Addressing the 4th Global Industrial Relations Summit, Union Labour and Employment Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said India is pursuing a balanced development model that promotes workers’ welfare and social security while ensuring ease of doing business for employers.
The summit was organised by the All India Organisation of Employers (AIOE) in association with FICCI.
Mandaviya stressed that harmonious industrial relations require sustained cooperation among governments, employers, workers, trade unions and industry to ensure economic growth and employment generation move together.
Highlighting employment trends, he said employment elasticity has improved significantly, with every one per cent increase in GDP now generating 1.11 per cent employment growth, compared with just 0.008 per cent around 12 years ago.
The minister also outlined key labour reforms, saying the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) may soon empanel well-managed private hospitals to provide healthcare services under its scheme, instead of relying solely on ESIC-run facilities.
He further said the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has moved to fully digital claim processing and automatic transfer of provident fund accounts linked to a Universal Account Number (UAN). The government is also considering enabling EPFO withdrawals through UPI.
Speaking at the event, Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for South Asia and Country Office for India, said the organisation’s estimates show that India has crossed the one-billion mark in social protection coverage. She noted that the achievement would contribute significantly to the country’s future economic growth.
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