Mandaviya Inaugurates BRICS Trade Union Forum Summit in Hyderabad
Highlighting the labour reforms, the Minister said the Four Labour Codes have consolidated 29 labour laws into a simplified framework while strengthening workers’ rights
Hyderabad: Union Minister for Labour and Employment Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday inaugurated the 15th BRICS Trade Union Forum (TUF) Summit 2026 in Hyderabad and called for building a worker-centric global order where technological advancement is guided by social justice, responsible innovation and human dignity.
Addressing delegates from BRICS countries at the inaugural session, the Minister said India’s BRICS Presidency theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflects the country’s commitment to ensuring that the future of work remains inclusive, equitable and centred on the welfare of workers.
Welcoming delegates from across the BRICS family, Dr. Mandaviya said trade unions have played an important role in safeguarding workers’ rights, strengthening industrial harmony and ensuring that economic progress is accompanied by social justice. He said India remains committed to the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where economic growth and workers’ welfare are complementary pillars of sustainable development.
Highlighting the labour reforms, the Minister said the Four Labour Codes have consolidated 29 labour laws into a simplified framework while strengthening workers’ rights. The reforms provide for universal minimum wages, appointment letters, improved occupational safety and health, digital compliance systems and, for the first time, formal recognition of gig and platform workers.
Dr. Mandaviya said India has leveraged digital public infrastructure to transform labour governance. He informed that the e-Shram portal has registered more than 317 million unorganised workers, enabling them to access various welfare schemes, while the National Career Service Portal connects job seekers, employers, career centres and training providers through a nationwide digital employment platform.
Referring to India’s social security architecture, the Minister said the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), with over 80 million active members and 8 million pensioners, is among the world’s largest social security organisations.
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) provides healthcare and social security benefits to over 150 million insured persons and their dependants. He added that continuous reforms in EPFO and ESIC have expanded coverage, simplified procedures and improved service delivery.
The Minister said India’s social protection coverage has increased from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025, covering nearly 940 million people, while preliminary estimates for 2026 indicate that coverage has crossed one billion citizens.
On employment generation, Dr. Mandaviya said nearly 170 million employment opportunities have been created in the last decade. He said the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana aims to create 35 million formal sector jobs over the next two years through employment-linked incentives.
The Minister noted that the BRICS countries together represent nearly half of humanity and one of the world’s largest labour forces. He said there is considerable scope for enhanced cooperation in areas such as social security, labour mobility, skill development, AI governance and decent work, and expressed confidence that the recommendations emerging from the forum would contribute to the forthcoming BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting.