Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Ms. Shobha Karandlaje led the Indian delegation at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, where she presented India's comprehensive labour reforms and employment progress. India has consolidated 29 Central Labour Laws into four Labour Codes guided by the principle of 'Antyodaya' to simplify compliance, strengthen workers' welfare, and create a modern, transparent labour ecosystem.
Key employment metrics show significant improvement: Youth Employability increased from 34% in 2014 to over 56% in 2025, while the unemployment rate fell from 6% in 2017 to 3.1% in 2025. Women's workforce participation surged from 22% to 38.8% during the same period. India has made substantial progress in social protection coverage, which expanded from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, bringing 940 million people under the social security net. Preliminary ILO estimates indicate current coverage has reached approximately 1001 million people.
Digital Public Infrastructure development in the labour sector includes the National Career Service Portal and e-Shram Portal. India is conducting a feasibility study with the ILO on developing an international reference classification of occupations. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana was launched to promote employment generation.
Bilateral meetings were held with multiple countries. With Rwanda's Minister of Public Service & Labour, discussions focused on employment services, skilling, workforce planning, and digital governance. India offered technical assistance for developing digital platforms for employment services and worker registration. With Sri Lanka's Labour Minister, discussions centered on India's labour reforms implementation experience, with Sri Lanka expressing strong interest in learning from India's successful implementation of the four Labour Codes.
The meeting with ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo focused on India's expanded social protection coverage, labour reforms, digital public infrastructure, future-oriented skilling initiatives, and international labour mobility. The DG appreciated India's significant rise in social security coverage in a short time and noted further expansion over the past year.
At a high-level side event on "Global Dialogue on India's New Labour Codes," the Minister highlighted that the reforms strengthen minimum wage protection, extend social security to unorganized, gig and platform workers, reinforce occupational safety standards, promote gender equality, and strengthen collective bargaining. India is focusing on international labour mobility through a coordinated approach linking skilling with global employment opportunities while ensuring safe, orderly migration pathways.