Highlights: India’s unemployment rate declined from 6% in 2017 to 3.2% by 2024. Over 7.5 crore jobs created in the formal sector in the last seven years. National Career Service (NCS) portal being leveraged to aggregate global job demands and facilitate international labour mobility. Over 300 million unorganised workers registered on e-Shram portal, paving the way for targeted benefits and social protection coverage. India's social protection coverage has grown from 24.4% in 2019 to 64.3% in 2025. Over 940 million people in India have social protection coverage. India advocates critical need for workers’ protection, but also cautions against overly broad definitions in the biological hazards instrument that extend beyond workplace settings. India recommends graded, risk-tiered strategy that balances worker safety with operational realities. India urges to take into account and accommodate diversities across countries when setting global standards.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, and Colleagues,

It is my honour to represent India at the 113th International Labour Conference. I extend my appreciation to the DG ILO and the ILO Secretariat for their exemplary efforts in organizing this Conference.

This session of the ILC has brought together the tripartite constituents to deliberate on some very relevant and critical issues shaping the future of work including potential new standards on protecting workers from biological hazards, advancing decent work in the platform economy, and fostering innovative strategies for formalizing the informal economy.

India remains committed to the ILO’s mandate of promoting decent work, social justice and inclusive growth.

I am happy to report that India’s unemployment rate which was 6% in 2017 has declined to 3.2% by 2024. We have made significant advances in improving formalization of employment, creating over 7.5 crore jobs in the formal sector in the last seven years. Our Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme with an outlay of approx. US $12.81 bn is expected to further boost job creation in the formal sector.

India has built a strong digital public infrastructure with platforms like the National Career Service (NCS) which serve as a 'one-stop solution' for our youth and working population. We are now leveraging NCS to aggregate global job demands and facilitate international labour mobility.

We are creating a vibrant Education to Employment ecosystem bringing together universities, industry partners and skilling centers at a common platform to provide career opportunities to our youth driven by real market demand.

I am pleased to note the seriousness with which the world is discussing Platform Economy today. India has taken concrete steps to bring gig and platform workers into the mainstream. With India’s gig workforce projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030, we must preserve the flexibility that defines this sector.

India believes in a measured, evidence-based approach to standard-setting in a form that preserves the innovative character of platform work while progressively enhancing working conditions.

India’s Code on Social Security 2020 recognizes platform workers as a distinct category. We have undertaken a massive exercise to map the platform workers on our e-Shram portal, a one-of-its-kind National Digital Database of over 300 million unorganised workers including gig and platform workers, paving the way for targeted benefits and social protection coverage.  

The result of these efforts are evident. As per the ILO World Social Protection Report, India's social protection coverage has grown from 24.4% in 2019 to 64.3% in 2025. Today, around 940 million people in India have social protection coverage. There are million more who are receiving non-cash coverage through various food and health security schemes.

I have also closely followed the discussions on biological hazards at this ILC session. While we recognize the critical need for workers’ protection, we must caution against overly broad definitions in the proposed instrument that extend beyond workplace settings. The Convention's universal coverage approach may be challenging particularly for informal sectors and MSMEs.

India recommends for a graded, risk-tiered strategy that balances worker safety with operational realities. We urge that the diversities across countries be taken into account and accommodated when setting global standards.

Under the leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has laid a strong foundation for sustained economic growth and employment generation.

Let's work together to build a future of work that combines innovation with inclusion, where no worker is left behind.

Thank You.

Delivered the National Statement at the Plenary Session of the 113th International Labour Conference at ILO, Geneva. Deliberated on relevant and critical issues shaping the future of work including:

✅ New standards on protecting workers from biological hazards,

✅ Advancing… pic.twitter.com/cuFfnn0k1B

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) June 11, 2025

See the National Statement below:

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Manish Gautam/Divyanshu Kumar

(Release ID: 2135751)