The e-Shram Portal Completes Five Years of Service

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Key takeaways

The e-Shram Portal completed five years on August 26, 2026, having been launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
It provides a 12-digit UAN to unorganised workers aged 16 and above who fall outside EPFO and ESIC coverage.
The platform consolidates 15 central welfare schemes into one digital portal for informal sector workers.
Enrolled beneficiaries gain access to ₹2 lakh insurance cover under PMSBY and PMJJBY along with pension choices.
It uses the AI-powered Bhashini tool to deliver services across 22 scheduled languages while tracking worker migration.

The e-Shram Portal reached a major milestone by completing five years of operation on August 26, 2026.
This milestone highlights its crucial role in strengthening the social security framework for India's informal economy.

It serves as India's first centralized Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
The portal provides each registered worker with a unique portable 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN).
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) launched this flagship digital initiative on August 26, 2021.
Its primary goal is to maintain a verified registry that connects multi-ministerial welfare programs on one platform.
This dynamic database ensures workers get emergency financial support and welfare protection during unexpected economic crises.

The platform issues portable 12-digit UAN cards to workers aged 16 and above who do not pay income tax and are outside EPFO or ESIC.
It covers broad groups like agricultural workers, domestic helpers, construction laborers, street vendors, and gig workers.
It brings together 15 central social security schemes under one roof, including PMJJBY, PMSBY, PM-SYM, ONORC, NSAP, and PMAY-G.
Registered users get direct enrolment into PMSBY, offering up to ₹2 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability.
Workers can enroll in PMJJBY for ₹2 lakh life insurance and PM-SYM for a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹3,000 after age 60.
The platform links directly with the National Career Service (NCS) for employment and the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for apprenticeships.
It integrates the AI-powered Bhashini engine to offer smooth native-language services in 22 scheduled languages.
It tracks family migration patterns to guarantee welfare portability across states while onboarding workers onto state BOCW Boards.

It gives formal digital recognition to unorganised workers, allowing direct and leak-proof delivery of state assistance.
The system enables seamless interstate benefit transfer, protecting vulnerable migrant families during national emergencies.