Gig & Platform Workers Now Under Social Security Net for First Time

A Historic First: Gig Workers in India's Formal Safety Net

For the first time in India's labour law history, workers who drive for Ola and Uber, deliver food for Swiggy and Zomato, and fulfil logistics runs for Amazon and Dunzo are being brought within the formal social security framework. The Code on Social Security, 2020 — one of India's four new labour codes — explicitly recognises gig workers and platform workers as a distinct category of workers entitled to social security benefits. Notifications operationalising these specific provisions came into effect in November 2025.

This is a watershed moment. India's existing social security architecture — EPF, ESIC, gratuity, maternity benefit — was built entirely around the concept of a formal employment relationship. A worker needed an employer to access benefits. Gig and platform workers, by definition, have no conventional employer. They are engaged by technology platforms under service contracts that explicitly disclaim any employment relationship. The Code on Social Security, 2020 breaks this logjam by creating a third category of workers — between employees and independent contractors — and attaching social security obligations to platforms that engage them at scale.

Who Qualifies as a Gig Worker or Platform Worker?

The Code on Social Security, 2020 provides precise statutory definitions:

Gig Worker (Section 2(35))

A gig worker is a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns from such activities, outside of a traditional employer–employee relationship. The defining feature is that the work is typically organised through a digital or physical platform and the worker bears significant economic independence while remaining economically dependent on the platform for work assignments.

Platform Worker (Section 2(61))

A platform worker is a person engaged in or undertaking platform work. Platform work means a work arrangement outside of a traditional employer–employee relationship in which organisations or individuals use an online platform to access other organisations or individuals to solve specific problems or to provide specific services in exchange for payment.

In practice, the following worker categories fall squarely within these definitions:

• Cab and auto-rickshaw drivers on Ola, Uber, Rapido, and similar ride-hailing platforms
• Food delivery partners on Swiggy, Zomato, and Dunzo
• Logistics and last-mile delivery workers for Amazon, Flipkart, and e-commerce fulfilment networks
• Freelance workers on technology platforms such as Urban Company (home services), Dunzo, and Porter
• Gig workers engaged through staffing platforms for short-duration assignments

Who Is an Aggregator and What Do They Owe?

The Code on Social Security, 2020 introduces a new term — aggregator — to describe the platforms that engage gig and platform workers. An aggregator is defined as a digital intermediary or a marketplace that connects buyers to sellers and service providers — specifically platforms that engage gig workers.

The compliance obligation is straightforward and historic: every aggregator must contribute between 1% and 2% of its annual turnover to the Social Security Fund for the benefit of gig and platform workers registered with it. The exact rate within this band is to be notified by the Central Government for different categories of aggregators.

The fund contributions are capped at 5% of the amount payable to all gig workers by the aggregator — meaning no aggregator can be asked to contribute more than 5% of total worker payouts regardless of turnover size. This cap is designed to protect smaller aggregator platforms from disproportionate liability.

Benefits Available to Registered Gig and Platform Workers

Once formally registered with the Social Security Fund, gig and platform workers become entitled to a range of benefits that were previously unavailable to them entirely. The specific benefit entitlements are:

Registration is done through a self-declaration on the National Social Security Portal. Workers do not need their aggregator's involvement to register — they can register independently using their Aadhaar number and mobile number linked to the platform account through which they work.

How the Social Security Fund Works

The Code establishes both a Central Social Security Fund (administered by the Central Social Security Board under the Ministry of Labour & Employment) and State Social Security Funds (administered by State Boards). Aggregators contribute to the appropriate fund based on the location of their registered office and the primary domicile of their worker base.

The governance structure is inclusive by design. Each Board includes representatives of:

• Central and State Governments
• Aggregator platforms (employer side)
• Gig and platform worker representatives
• Independent experts in social security, labour economics, and technology platforms

Aggregators Covered — Illustrative List

The Code defines aggregators by function, not by name. Any platform that connects workers to service recipients through a digital interface and where the workers bear gig or platform work characteristics is covered. Illustratively, the following aggregator types are within scope:

• Ride-hailing: Ola Cabs, Uber India, Rapido, InDrive
• Food delivery: Swiggy, Zomato, Thrive
• Grocery and quick commerce: Blinkit, Zepto, BigBasket delivery
• Logistics and parcel delivery: Amazon Flex, Dunzo, Porter, Delhivery gig programs
• Home services: Urban Company (UrbanClap), Housejoy
• Freelance and task platforms: Apna, WorkIndia, Taskmo

Notably, the First Schedule to the Code lists specific aggregator categories. Any aggregator operating in those categories with a turnover above the prescribed threshold is mandatorily covered regardless of the size of its registered worker base.

What Aggregators Must Do Now

1. Register as an aggregator on the National Social Security Portal (as notified by the Ministry of Labour & Employment)
2. Maintain a register of all gig and platform workers engaged through the platform, with Aadhaar-linked identity verification
3. Compute annual turnover contributions at the prescribed rate and remit to the Social Security Fund by the due date (generally within 60 days of the close of the financial year)
4. Issue contribution records to each registered worker, confirming their coverage period and the amount contributed on their behalf
5. Report changes in worker status — onboarding, offboarding, change in primary platform — to the Social Security Board on a quarterly basis
6. Facilitate worker self-registration by providing QR codes or deep links to the National Social Security Portal within the aggregator app

What This Means for the Broader Workforce

India's gig economy has grown explosively over the past decade. NITI Aayog estimated in 2022 that India had approximately 7.7 crore gig workers, with projections suggesting this number could exceed 23 crore by 2030. These workers — many of them young, many migrant, many without any formal safety net — have historically been completely exposed to economic shocks. A road accident left a cab driver without income and without insurance. A serious illness forced a delivery worker into debt. Maternity left a woman platform worker with no income support.

The Social Security Code, 2020 provisions — now operationalised — represent India's formal acknowledgement that the old binary of "employee vs. contractor" is inadequate for the modern economy. The gig and platform worker category is not a legal workaround — it is a genuine recognition of a new form of work that deserves new forms of protection.

For compliance professionals and HR leaders at aggregator platforms, the challenge is now one of operationalisation: building the systems, processes, and records that allow accurate worker enumeration, contribution computation, and timely remittance. Companies that treat this as a compliance burden will miss the opportunity to build genuine trust and loyalty with their largest workforce group. Companies that embrace it will be better positioned for the regulatory environment of the next decade.

Conclusion

The inclusion of gig and platform workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020 is more than a compliance obligation — it is a structural shift in how India thinks about work, workers, and welfare. Aggregators that move quickly to register, contribute, and facilitate worker registration will not only comply with the law but will build a more stable, protected, and productive workforce. Those that delay will face both regulatory scrutiny and reputational risk in an environment where gig worker welfare is an increasingly visible public policy issue.

CompliCore Advisory can assist aggregator platforms and enterprises with gig worker register preparation, contribution computation, Social Security Board registration, and compliance policy drafting. Reach out to our team today.