The Union Labour Ministry has proposed new rules for gig and platform workers, specifying the minimum engagement required with aggregators to access social security benefits. The draft, released on December 30, 2025, requires workers to be engaged for at least 90 days with a single aggregator or 120 days in a financial year if working with multiple aggregators.

The draft rules define a worker as “engaged” on any day they earn income from an aggregator, regardless of the amount. If a worker earns from multiple aggregators on the same day, each engagement counts separately. For example, a gig worker working with three aggregators on a single day will be credited with three engagement days.

The notification also expands the definition of aggregators to include direct employment, subsidiaries, associate companies, limited liability partnerships, or third-party arrangements. This ensures that a wider range of workers in the gig economy can be covered under social security provisions.

Registered workers must also maintain accurate personal information on the e-Shram portal, the national database for unorganised workers. Details such as address, occupation, mobile number, and skill information must be kept up to date. Failure to do so could make workers ineligible for benefits under the scheme.

The draft rules come just before the gig and platform workers’ strike on New Year’s Eve, where workers demanded higher payouts and better working conditions. Labour officials stated that the draft is open for public comments before it is finalised, providing an opportunity for feedback from stakeholders across the sector.