Gig workers union IFAT called for strict enforcement against companies that fail to comply within the prescribed timeline | Photo Credit: REUTERS

With the June 21 deadline for aggregators to onboard gig and platform workers onto the e-Shram portal fast approaching, platforms say they are working towards compliance, even as worker unions continue to seek clarity on the benefits workers will receive under the government’s social security framework.

Amazon said it supports the reforms and is confident of meeting the requirements. “We are genuinely very supportive of the reforms. The government has worked hard to understand the needs of associates as well as organizations and has come up with something meaningful,” Abhinav Singh, vice-president for operations at Amazon India, APAC, Middle East, Africa and Turkiye, said. “We think it’s going to raise the bar. It’s already a standard to which we were operating and exceeding, and it raises the bar for the industry, which is very good.”

However, uncertainty persists across parts of the industry. An executive at a listed quick-commerce company, requesting anonymity, said platforms are still engaging with policymakers on implementation details.

“We are in conversations with the government to understand how the framework will be rolled out. Unlike traditional employment models, gig workers operate as independent partners and are not all affiliated with a single company or union. Given the scale and complexity of the ecosystem, there are still operational and technical aspects that need to be worked through before implementation can be completed seamlessly,” the executive said.

Key Questions

Worker representatives say the larger issue is not registration itself, but the lack of clarity around the benefits that will accrue to workers. “Workers are asking, what will we get from e-Shram?” said Shaik Salauddin, co-founder and national general secretary of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).

According to Salauddin, workers are raising three key questions: what benefits they will receive through e-Shram registration, when those benefits will become available, and whether government-backed protections will be superior to those already offered by platforms. “Will the scheme that we will make for the workers be better than the platform companies? This is the most important question,” he said.

Social Protection

In a separate statement, IFAT urged aggregators to immediately share worker data with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, arguing that delays are slowing the rollout of social security measures and the proposed National Welfare Board for gig and platform workers. The union called for strict enforcement against companies that fail to comply within the prescribed timeline.

The debate comes days after the International Labour Organization adopted the Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026, the first binding global labour standard for platform workers. Salauddin described the move as a “historic victory” that recognises platform workers as workers entitled to rights, dignity and social protection, and said it should accelerate efforts to strengthen protections for India’s growing gig workforce.

Published on June 17, 2026