Explained: Gig workers may need to work 90 days a year — here’s why it matters

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has released draft rules for the implementation of India’s four labour codes and invited feedback from stakeholders, signalling a major step towards nationwide rollout from April 2026.

The four labour codes — Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — were notified on Thursday.

A key highlight of the draft rules is the proposed expansion of social security coverage for gig and platform workers. The rules lay down formal eligibility conditions and specify how days of work will be calculated to determine access to benefits.

According to the draft, gig workers must be engaged “for not less than 90 days with an aggregator, or in the case of multiple aggregators, not less than one hundred and twenty days, in the last financial year.” These thresholds are aimed at creating clearer eligibility criteria and ensuring more predictable access to social security benefits for workers in the gig economy.

The draft rules also clarify how a working day will be counted. A gig or platform worker will be considered engaged for a day if they earn any income from an aggregator on that day, irrespective of the amount.

For workers associated with multiple aggregators, days worked will be calculated cumulatively, and work performed for more than one aggregator on the same day will be counted as multiple days.

Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has reiterated the government’s target of extending social security coverage to 100 crore workers by March 2026, compared to the current coverage of around 94 crore workers. Ministry data shows that social security coverage has increased sharply from 19 percent in 2015 to over 64 percent in 2025.

Since labour is a concurrent subject under the Constitution, both the Centre and states must notify the rules for the labour codes to be enforced nationwide. Following the Centre’s move, states are also expected to initiate the process of publishing corresponding draft rules.

The ministry has invited stakeholder comments within a defined timeline—30 days for feedback on the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 draft rules, and 45 days for the remaining three labour codes.

Industry bodies have welcomed the release of the draft rules. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of CII, said, “The release of the draft rules under the four Labour Codes marks a key step in operationalising India's labour reforms.” He added that the clarity provided by the rules would help industry prepare for implementation while balancing growth objectives with stronger worker protections.

With the government seeking broad-based consultation and aiming for synchronised implementation across states, the draft labour code rules are set to play a crucial role in defining future employment standards and social security coverage for both traditional workers and those in India’s rapidly expanding gig economy.