India has registered a historic landmark in increasing social protection for the citizens, with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognising India’s huge leap over the decade. According to the ILOSTAT database, social protection coverage in India has increased from a mere 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025. This 45-percentage-point rise is the highest increase in social security coverage in the world. India is the first in the world to revise its 2025 social protection data on the ILOSTAT platform.
The success has been officially acknowledged by the ILO, which has placed the revised data on its official dashboard. India is currently second in the world according to the number of beneficiaries, covering over 94 crore citizens with social protection.
India’s progress goes global
This historical endorsement was celebrated during the bilateral discussion conducted between Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, and Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO. The meeting was conducted on the margins of the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, where Dr. Mandaviya is spearheading the Indian delegation from June 10 to 12, 2025.
Dr. Mandaviya shared the information about the Indian government’s welfare initiatives during the meeting, pointing to specific pro-poor and labour-oriented schemes launched and expanded in the last 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These schemes, he emphasised, have formed the basis of a strong and inclusive social protection system that focuses on the vulnerable and underprivileged sections of society.
Diplomacy backed by data
The Union Minister also briefed the Director General of ILO on the Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise at the national level, a task that was undertaken by the Government of India with the cooperation of the ILO. The exercise will be used to map and authenticate the coverage of welfare programs using time-series, credible data in order to present true figures on international platforms.
“The remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the relentless efforts of the Government in building an inclusive and rights-based social protection ecosystem,” Dr. Mandaviya said. “The increase marks the fastest expansion in social protection coverage worldwide, reflecting the Government’s unwavering commitment to ‘Antyodaya’ i.e., empowering the last mile and fulfilling the promise of leaving no one behind.”
The ILO’s acknowledgement was based on strict standards. To be included in a country’s social protection statistics, any welfare scheme should be legislatively supported, deliver direct cash transfers, be operational, and be supported by confirmed data for the past three years. India’s adherence to these stringent standards reflects its serious commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.
Building welfare with numbers
It is important to note that the figure of 64.3 per cent is only for the first phase of the Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise currently being conducted. Phase I covered beneficiary records from centrally sponsored schemes and women’s programmes from eight states chosen. With Phase II now in progress and more data aggregation expected, India’s overall coverage of social protection is likely to exceed the 100 crore mark once more schemes are confirmed by the ILO.
First nation to update 2025 coverage
India’s digital governance leadership has also been re-established through this initiative. India is the first in the world to revise its 2025 social protection data on the ILOSTAT platform. This does not just enhance the international credibility of India’s welfare system but also enhances the country’s position in multilateral platforms and labour negotiations.
Implications for global trade
The increased coverage will also have long-term implications for the world beyond domestic well-being. As India goes ahead to complete Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with industrialised countries, the authentic coverage statistics will be vital. SSAs enable the portability of social protection entitlements, particularly for Indian professionals and workers living overseas. The agreements will also offer partner states the data integrity and transparency necessary for recognition of social protection schemes across countries.
Additionally, the increase in coverage improves India’s representation in international debate over trade and labour mobility. With a robust and extensive social protection regime, India is better positioned to participate more forcefully in multilateral negotiations, presenting an example that reconciles economic growth with social justice.
Inclusive schemes drive transformation
The Government’s strategy is a major policy shift towards inclusive development. Programs aimed at empowering women, informal workers, senior citizens, and those on the fringes of the formal economy have been at the forefront of this shift. The focus on cash-based, legislatively sanctioned, and digitally monitored welfare entitlements is a systemic shift towards more accountable and effective public service delivery.
The ILO Director General congratulated the Indian government for its targeted welfare strategy for the poor and working classes under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. This recognition by a globally renowned institution vindicates India’s endeavor to provide social justice through structural reforms.
Antyodaya in action
As India embarks on the second stage of its data pooling and welfare verification programme, the nation’s commitment to leaving no one behind remains entrenched in its policy vision. With ongoing progress in data quality, scheme performance, and beneficiary coverage, India is set to create a new international standard for social protection coverage in developing economies.
The momentum generated by this success is likely to spur subsequent innovations in the delivery of welfare based on the principle of Antyodaya and the goal of overall national development.
The explosion in India’s social protection coverage as identified by the ILO represents a landmark page in the country’s development story. It speaks to years of policy integrity, technological ingenuity, and concerted effort to reach the most marginalised. With the nation poised to achieve the second wave of its data pooling initiative at scale, India is a beacon of large-scale, rights-based social change.
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