e-Shram portal turns 5; 31.89 crore workers join platform: Check eligibility, benefits and how to register for free

The e-Shram portal completed five years on Wednesday, with more than 31.89 crore unorganised workers registered on the platform, according to a PIB release.

Launched on 26 August 2021, the portal was initially created as a national database of unorganised workers but has since evolved into a single digital platform connecting workers with social security, insurance, pension, employment and skilling schemes.

For workers in the unorganised sector, understanding who can register, what benefits are available, and whether registration itself provides any financial assistance is important.

e-Shram is a government digital platform for registering workers in the unorganised sector. It creates an Aadhaar-authenticated record and provides a 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN) to each registered worker.

An e-Shram card is not itself an insurance policy, pension account, or direct cash benefit. Instead, it acts as a digital identity and a gateway through which eligible workers can access or enrol in various government schemes.

The portal has evolved beyond simply maintaining a database. Launched on 21 October 2024, the “e-Shram One-Stop Solution” covers 15 welfare and employment-related services.

As per the PIB release, some of the key schemes and services linked through e-Shram include:

It can also cover workers in the organised sector who are not members of EPFO or ESIC and are not government employees.

Workers can register through the e-Shram portal, a nearby Common Service Centre (CSC), or a State Seva Kendra. Government field officers can also facilitate registration at the district and sub-district levels.

The platform has gradually expanded from a worker database into a broader service-delivery platform.

The “e-Shram One-Stop Solution” brought welfare, employment, skilling and pension services together. Multilingual functionality in 22 languages was added in 2025 through the Bhashini platform.

“As of 18 August 2026, the portal had recorded 31.89 crore registrations,” according to the release.

Women account for 54.28% of registered workers, compared with 45.72% for men. Agriculture, domestic and household work, construction, and apparel are among the occupational categories with the highest registrations.

Disclaimer: This is purely for educational/informational purposes. Please visit the official website for the latest updates.