Gig Workers' Welfare Prog: Karnataka To Put Out Draft Rules In 2 Weeks

A day after Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot cleared the Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, labour minister Santosh Lad reportedly said that the state will release draft rules to implement service fee on online platforms, funding welfare schemes for gig workers under new ordinance in about two weeks.

The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, 2025, extends to aggregators, including Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Ola and Uber, among others.

An ET report said that the rules will also include the constitution of the gig workers’ welfare board. The government has notified the ordinance paving the way for the framing of rules as a prelude to the roll-out of the service fee on platforms to build a welfare fund.

Last month, Karnataka chief minister’s office (CMO) said in an X post that on platform aggregators such as Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, among others for the “welfare” of gig workers.

The report further said that, post finalising the rules, it will prescribe the rates of fees payable by platforms for various kinds of services, including home maintenance, grooming and spa, ride-hailing, online retail and food delivery.

“We will also start the process of constitution of the welfare board once the rules are out,” the Lad added.

About a year ago, the Karnataka government released a draft of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, aimed at protecting the rights of gig workers in the state and also to offer them social and income security.

The bill, which proposed various welfare measures for gig workers, mandates the app-based delivery and ride-hailing platforms to provide them with social security benefits. Further, it currently awaits the Governor’s approval as an ordinance.

Brands such as Swiggy, Zomato, Urban Company, Ola, Uber, Rapido, Flipkart, Amazon as well as several other app-based startups are likely to come under the purview of the state government for their treatment of the gig workers employed with the companies.

Earlier this month, the state government was reportedly planning to roll out the in August.

With over 2 Lakh gig workers in Bengaluru alone, Karnataka’s move underscores the urgent need for protections in this fast-growing sector.

Meanwhile, the Centre has also been planning to launch a social security scheme for platform-based gig workers in a move that seeks to protect their rights and place obligations on food delivery and ride-hailing companies employing such workers, earlier this year.

In March, as many as with the e-Shram portal, benefitting from social security schemes, following the onboarding of ten major ecommerce platforms.

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