Labour Codes: Transforming India's Workforce for the Future

The Economic Survey of 2025-26, unveiled in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, underscores the transformative potential of effective Labour Codes implementation on formal employment, especially for women and gig workers. These reforms call for significant private sector investment and policy coordination.

The survey outlines the upcoming integration of four Labour Codes announced in November 2025, urging companies to adapt their workforce models, digital capabilities, and integration strategies to maintain competitiveness. Core codes like the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations, and Social Security are poised to reshape India’s labor landscape.

Amid demographic and technological shifts, the report stresses quality job creation, inclusive skilling from school levels, and enhancing social security. Digitalization, hybrid work models, and heightened welfare schemes for unorganized sectors stand central to the evolving labor market dynamics.