Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday inaugurated the 15th BRICS Trade Union Forum (TUF) Summit in Hyderabad, calling for a worker-centric global order where technological advancement is guided by social justice, responsible innovation and human dignity.
Addressing delegates from BRICS nations, the minister said India’s BRICS Presidency theme — “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” — reflects the country’s commitment to ensuring that the future of work remains inclusive, equitable and centred on workers’ welfare.
Highlighting India’s labour reforms, Mandaviya said the four Labour Codes have consolidated 29 labour laws into a simplified framework while strengthening workers’ rights. He said the reforms provide for universal minimum wages, appointment letters, improved occupational safety and health standards, digital compliance systems, and formal recognition of gig and platform workers.
The minister said India has leveraged digital public infrastructure to modernise labour governance. He noted that the e-Shram portal has registered over 317 million unorganised workers, enabling access to welfare schemes, while the National Career Service Portal connects job seekers, employers, career centres and training providers through a nationwide digital employment platform.
Referring to India’s social security framework, Mandaviya said the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), with more than 80 million active members and eight million pensioners, is among the world’s largest social security organisations. He added that the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) provides healthcare and social security benefits to over 150 million insured persons and their dependants, with ongoing reforms improving coverage, simplifying procedures and enhancing service delivery.
The minister said India’s social protection coverage has risen from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025, covering nearly 940 million people. Preliminary estimates for 2026 indicate that the coverage has crossed one billion citizens.
On employment generation, Mandaviya said nearly 170 million employment opportunities have been created over the past decade. He added that the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana aims to generate 35 million formal sector jobs over the next two years through employment-linked incentives.
Emphasising the importance of collaborative policymaking, the minister said India’s labour governance framework is built on tripartite dialogue among the government, employers and trade unions. Institutions such as EPFO, ESIC and statutory bodies under the Labour Codes operate through participative mechanisms, reflecting the government’s commitment to inclusive labour governance.
Noting that BRICS countries account for nearly half of the world’s population and one of its largest labour forces, the Union Labour and Employment Minister said there is significant scope for greater cooperation in areas such as social security, labour mobility, skill development, artificial intelligence governance and decent work. He expressed confidence that the forum’s recommendations would contribute to the upcoming BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting.
Earlier, BRICS Trade Union Forum Summit Chairman and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) National President Sunkari Mallesham said the summit aims to strengthen cooperation among BRICS nations to advance workers’ welfare and promote inclusive development. BMS Organising Secretary and BRICS Trade Union Forum Chief Coordinator B. Surendran welcomed the delegates.
The three-day summit, organised by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, has brought together more than 50 international delegates and around 70 representatives of Indian trade unions, labour experts and academicians. Discussions over the next two days will focus on universal social security and portability of benefits, human-centric technology and responsible AI, skill development for the future of work, and women in the changing world of work.
