India highlights success of new labour reforms at ILO conference in Geneva

India told the ILO that it has consolidated 29 central labour laws into four labour codes to simplify compliance, expand social protection and modernise labour governance. Minister Shobha Karandlaje also highlighted employment, women’s participation and digital labour platforms at Geneva talks

New Delhi: India has undertaken wide-ranging labour reforms guided by the principle of “Antyodaya” through consolidation of 29 Central Labour Laws into four Labour Codes — to simplify compliance, strengthen workers’ welfare and create a modern and transparent labour ecosystem, according to Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje, an official statement said on Thursday.

She led the Indian delegation at the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, and addressed the Plenary Session, congratulating the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on organising the Conference and appreciating its continued leadership in promoting social justice and decent work amid rapidly evolving global transformations.

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At the conference, the minister said that youth employability in India has increased from 34 per cent in 2014 to over 56 per cent in 2025. Between 2017 and 2025, unemployment rate fell from 6 per cent to 3.1 per cent, and women’s workforce participation surged from 22 per cent to 38.8 per cent, she added. India’s increasing female labour force participation and the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana to promote employment generation were also elucidated.

The minister held a bilateral meeting with Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, ILO. She reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the ILO in advancing decent work, social justice and inclusive growth. She apprised the Director-General of the expansion of India’s social protection coverage, which as per preliminary estimates of ILO has reached 68.4 per cent of the total population, corresponding to 1,001 million beneficiaries.

Karandlaje also held bilateral meeting with Christine Nkulikiyinka, Minister of Public Service and Labour of Rwanda. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in employment services, skilling, workforce planning and digital governance, according to the statement.

India highlighted the success of the National Career Service Portal and the e-Shram Portal as scalable Digital Public Goods and extended technical assistance and capacity-building support for developing digital platforms for employment services, worker registration, jobs and skill matching.

She also held a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan Labour Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando. Sri Lanka expressed strong interest in India’s labour reforms and sought insights on the successful implementation of the four New Labour Codes.