Over one year after the 2025-26 Union Budget announcement, health insurance for gig workers under Ayushman Bharat remains unimplemented. Despite 10.65 lakh registrations on the e-Shram portal, the lack of a clear policy framework leaves these workers without promised medical support.
Detailed Coverage
More than a year has passed since the Union Budget 2025-26 promised to bring gig and platform workers under the umbrella of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Despite the official intention to provide health insurance to this expanding workforce, the scheme has yet to be implemented on the ground.
Registration Progress Without Benefits
The central government has actively encouraged gig workers to register on the e-Shram portal, which acts as a database for social security and welfare programs. As of July 14, 2026, over 10.65 lakh platform workers have completed their registration. While the government launched an Aggregator Module in December 2024 to facilitate this process—onboarding major companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Ola, Uber, and Flipkart—registration has not yet translated into active healthcare coverage for these individuals.
Policy Gaps and Economic Context
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, India's gig economy has seen a 55% increase in workers between FY21 and FY25, reaching approximately 1.2 crore people. This group now represents more than 2% of India's total workforce. Despite this rapid growth, stakeholder representatives have noted a lack of concrete policy-level discussions regarding the actual rollout of health benefits. While the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the rules notified in May 2026 provide the legal foundation for social security, the specific mechanisms for state-level boards to deliver these health benefits remain undefined.
Investor and Sector Impact
For investors monitoring the platform economy, the delay in formalizing social security rules creates ongoing regulatory uncertainty. While companies have complied with registration requirements, the final structure of welfare contributions could influence future operating costs. The lack of a clear timeline for the Ayushman Bharat rollout means that the financial burden for worker welfare may remain ambiguous for both the platforms and the workers themselves. The next critical update for the market will be the notification of operational rules by state social security boards, which will clarify how these health benefits are funded and administered.