Centre’s Draft Rules on Social Security for Gig Workers: 90–120 Days of Work Mandatory

January 2, 2026

Mumbai: The Central Government’s draft rules on social security for gig and platform workers come at a time when thousands of gig and platform workers went on strike on New Year’s Eve demanding higher pay and better working conditions. This notification was issued on December 30, 2025, just one day before the strike.

Minimum Work Period of 90–120 Days Required

According to the draft rules released by the Union Labour Ministry for public comments, gig and platform workers must complete a minimum period of work in a financial year to receive social security benefits.

Workers working with a single aggregator must work for at least 90 days.
For workers working with multiple aggregators, this limit has been set at 120 days.

How ​​is ‘Engagement’ Defined?

The draft rules state that on any calendar day, if a gig or platform worker earns any income from working for an aggregator, that day will be counted as engagement, regardless of the amount earned.

The rules simply mean this:

* Any day where a worker earns even a small amount from an aggregator will be considered one working day.

* If a worker works with more than one aggregator, all engagement days will be added together.

* If a worker works for three different aggregators on the same day, it will be considered a three-day engagement.

The draft also clarifies that workers engaged by the aggregator directly or through an associate company, holding company, subsidiary, LLP, or any third party will also be covered.

Registration and Digital Identity Card

The draft rules make it mandatory for all eligible unorganized workers to register on the central government’s designated portal. Upon registration, each eligible worker will be issued a digital identity card containing their photo and other details as determined by the government.

The Ministry of Labor has already initiated the registration process on the e-Shram Portal, which is the national database of unorganized workers, through which they will receive identification and benefits of social security schemes.Failure to update information may result in loss of benefits

Registered workers will be required to periodically update their address, occupation, mobile number, skills, and other relevant information. The draft rules warn that failing to update information could render workers ineligible for social security schemes.

Gig workers’ unions have expressed concern about these provisions. They say that the minimum number of days required due to irregular work and the app-based system could exclude many workers from benefits.