Gig Worker Registration on E-Shram Portal Remains Low in Odisha

Why It Matters

Without e‑Shram coverage, gig workers miss out on health, pension and insurance benefits, limiting the broader goal of formalising India’s expanding gig sector.

Key Takeaways

• Registration rates among Odisha gig workers remain below 5%.
• Ride‑hailing and food‑delivery apps are fastest‑growing sectors.
• Awareness gaps prevent workers from accessing e‑Shram benefits.
• Fragmented employment structures complicate collective registration efforts.
• Policy lag threatens social security expansion for informal workforce.

Pulse Analysis

India’s gig economy is booming, with platforms such as Uber, Swiggy and Zomato adding millions of workers in the past few years. Odisha mirrors this national trend, yet its e‑Shram portal—designed to bring informal labor into the social‑security fold—has seen only a fraction of those workers register. The portal’s promise of health insurance, pension contributions and skill‑development funds remains largely untapped, creating a stark contrast between policy ambition and on‑ground reality.

The registration shortfall stems from several intertwined factors. First, many gig workers lack basic awareness of e‑Shram’s benefits, often because outreach campaigns are limited to urban centres. Second, the gig model’s inherent fragmentation—workers operate as independent contractors without a single employer to facilitate enrollment—makes collective sign‑ups cumbersome. Digital literacy and access to reliable internet further impede registration, especially in rural districts where a sizable share of delivery riders reside. Without a clear employer‑driven conduit, workers must navigate the portal individually, a process many find opaque and time‑consuming.

Addressing the gap will require coordinated action between government, platforms and worker collectives. Targeted awareness drives, simplified mobile registration flows, and incentives for platforms that onboard their contractors can accelerate uptake. Moreover, policy tweaks—such as allowing platform‑level aggregation of workers for e‑Shram eligibility—could reconcile the fragmented nature of gig work with the need for formal social protection. Successful integration would not only safeguard millions of low‑income earners but also set a precedent for other Indian states grappling with the same challenge.