India’s Gig Workforce Enters the Social Security Framework
“Registration, worker IDs, contribution records, and benefit portability should not become separate silos across states. Ideally, the central framework should act as the common digital and legal spine, while states can build additional welfare layers on top,” said Ajay Trehan, Founder & CEO, AuthBridge.
Commenting on India’s newly introduced social security framework for gig workers, Ajay Trehan highlighted several operational and structural challenges that could impact effective implementation. He highlighted how the current eligibility model places an unfair burden on workers, as only completed tasks are counted toward eligibility, despite work allocation being heavily influenced by platform algorithms, demand fluctuations, and platform-side controls.
Trehan also emphasised that accountability for worker welfare should remain with the platforms that exercise functional control over onboarding, work allocation, payment visibility, and worker engagement, regardless of whether third parties are involved. Additionally, he stressed the importance of establishing stronger safeguards around sudden account suspension and deactivation, as workers risk losing both income continuity and social security eligibility if their accounts are blocked/removed midway through the year.
In conclusion, he stated that while the new framework marks an important step toward recognising gig workers within India’s social security ecosystem, our country needs a more unified, transparent, and worker-centric approach to ensure meaningful and long-term protection for the gig workforce.
