**Policy Summary: ESI Scheme Beneficiaries (Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3998)**
This document summarizes the response provided by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3998, answered on August 18, 2025, regarding the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme. As of March 31, 2025, the ESI Scheme covers 147,599,701 beneficiaries (provisional) nationwide. The ESI Scheme, established under the ESI Act, 1948, currently applies to factories and establishments with ten or more employees, earning wages up to INR 21,000 (INR 25,000 for Persons with Disability). Consequently, the Act does not extend to the unorganized sector. However, the Government has enacted the Code on Social Security, 2020, with the objective of extending social security coverage to all employees and workers, including those in the organized, unorganized, and other sectors.
Key Entities Referenced
ESI Scheme: Employees State Insurance Scheme, a social security scheme in India.
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT: The Indian government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
LOK SABHA: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA: Member of Parliament who raised the question about the ESI Scheme.
SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: Minister of State for Labour and Employment who provided the answer.
ESI Act, 1948: The Employees State Insurance Act, the legal basis for the ESI Scheme.
Code on Social Security, 2020: A recent Indian law aimed at extending social security to all employees and workers.
India: The country to which this policy applies
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3998
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025
BENEFICIARIES OF ESI SCHEME
3998. SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to
state:
(a)the details of the number of beneficiaries covered under the ESI
Scheme throughout the country;
(b)the details of the total beneficiary base after coverage of all the
districts of the country under the ESI scheme;
(c)whether the Government proposes to cover workers under the ESI
scheme in the unorganized sector including those establishments
employing less than 10 employees and if so, the details thereof;
and
(d)if not, the time by which the final decision is likely to be taken in
this regard?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (d): The Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme framed
under ESI Act, 1948 is applicable to all factories and establishments
having ten or more employees, drawing wages up to Rs 21,000/- (Rs.
25,000/- for Persons with disability). As such, the Act does not apply
to the unorganized sector. The number of beneficiaries covered under
ESI Scheme as on 31st March, 2025 is 14,75,99,701 (provisional).
The Government has enacted Code on Social Security,
2020 with the goal to extend social security to all employees and
workers with either in the organized or unorganized or any other
sectors and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
*****