The Ministry of Labour and Employment has mandated that aggregators upload details of all gig workers engaged by them on a central government portal within 45 days, as part of the final rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020, notified on Friday, May 9, 2026.
The notification completes the rule-making process for all four Labour Codes, with the Centre issuing more than 30 Gazette notifications nearly six years after Parliament cleared the underlying legislation. The final rules follow draft versions released in December 2025, with stakeholder consultations factored into the final framework.
Under the new rules, aggregators failing to make timely contributions towards social security benefits for gig workers will have to pay interest at 1% per month, or 12% annually, on the outstanding amount. Aggregators have also been directed to record all new appointments and exits on a real-time or daily basis to support the effective implementation of the social security framework.
The eligibility framework, retained from the draft, requires gig and platform workers to have completed at least 90 days of engagement with a single aggregator, or 120 days across multiple aggregators, in a financial year to qualify for centrally notified social security benefits. Aggregators are required to contribute between 1% and 2 % of their annual turnover to a National Social Security Fund, capped at 5% of total payments made to gig workers.
Aadhaar-linked registration is mandatory for workers aged 16 and above, with each worker receiving a Universal Account Number that ties their identity across platforms. The benefits envelope includes life and disability insurance, accident coverage, and health insurance, with eligible workers also being linked to schemes such as Ayushman Bharat. The framework leaves the door open for maternity benefits and contributory pensions in later phases.
The final Social Security rules also raise the monthly income ceiling for dependent parents from Rs 9,000 to Rs 14,000, and introduce stronger procedural norms around ESI contributions, nomination processes, and creche facilities.
For platform companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Ola, Uber, Rapido, Urban Company, and Zepto, the 45-day window converts what has so far been a state-level patchwork of obligations into a single national compliance mandate with statutory penalties attached.
