Gig Worker Welfare Laws by State in India (2026): Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana and the Central Code

NITI Aayog estimated 77 lakh gig workers in 2020-21 and projects 2.35 crore by 2029-30. Treat everything from 2020-21 onward as a projection, not a headcount, since no official survey tracks gig workers as a separate group.

These bars are not like for like. Karnataka and Bihar take a slice of each payout, while the central Code and Jharkhand take a slice of the platform's annual turnover, so a 2% cap means very different money in each case.

Rajasthan's first-offence fine of up to ₹5 lakh dwarfs Karnataka's ₹5,000. For a large platform, Karnataka's real pressure comes later, from the ₹1 lakh ceiling on repeat contraventions and 12% a year interest on late fees.

Bihar is the clearest example of what the fee is meant to buy: ₹4 lakh to a family after an accidental death on duty, down to ₹5,400 for a short hospital stay. None of it reaches you unless you are registered on e-Shram.

State gig worker welfare laws in India compared

Source: Government of Rajasthan, Rajasthan Gazette (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023 (Act No. 29 of 2023); Government of Karnataka, Karnataka Gazette (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 (Karnataka Act No. 72 of 2025); Government of Bihar, Bihar Gazette Extraordinary (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Bihar Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 (Bihar Act 08 of 2025); TeamLease RegTech, Jharkhand Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2025; Government of Telangana, Telangana Gazette Extraordinary (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026 (Act No. 21 of 2026); Labour Employment Training and Factories Department, Government of Telangana (listed by Simpliance; G.O. text not openly viewable), G.O.Ms.No. 7: Notification regarding implementation of the Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026 (listing only; G.O. text behind login); TeamLease RegTech, Maharashtra Gig and Platform Workers Rights and Protection Bill, 2026. Download as image

Karnataka welfare fee rates notified February 2026 (1% of payout, capped per transaction)

Source: SCC Online, Karnataka Government notifies Gig Workers' Welfare Fee as mandatory. Download as image

Status of a state gig worker welfare law by State

• 2Act in force
• 3Act passed, commencement date not confirmed
• 1Bill introduced

Which states in India have a gig workers welfare act?

As of October 2026, five states have passed a dedicated law and one has a Bill. Rajasthan went first with Act No. 29 of 2023. Bihar and Karnataka followed in 2025, Jharkhand's Act was issued on 6 January 2026, and Telangana's Act No. 21 of 2026 got assent on 25 April 2026. Maharashtra issued its Gig and Platform Workers Rights and Protection Bill on 3 July 2026, and we found no record of it passing.

Passed is not the same as working. Rajasthan's and Bihar's Acts start on a date the state notifies, and we could not confirm that notification for either. Karnataka's is deemed in force from 30 May 2025, and its fee rates were notified in February 2026. Jharkhand's Act counts as commenced by the 120th day after enactment at the latest, which puts it in force before this page's as-of date. Telangana has issued an implementation order, but we could not confirm its date.

So if you work in Bengaluru, the law is live and the fee is being charged. If you work in Jaipur or Patna, the framework exists on paper and the benefits may still be waiting on rules and a working welfare board.

How does the Code on Social Security cover gig workers?

The central Code took effect with the other Labour Codes on 21 November 2025 and applies in every state. It treats gig and platform workers as a category of their own and asks aggregators to contribute 1-2% of annual turnover to a social security fund, capped at 5% of what they pay out to gig and platform workers.

Two things follow for you. First, a state Act does not switch off the Code. In Karnataka, a platform may end up owing both the state welfare fee and the central contribution. Second, the Code needed supporting rules, and those were still to be notified when it took effect. That gap is one reason the e-Shram portal matters so much right now. Around 11.5 lakh platform workers had registered by August 2026, which is small next to NITI Aayog's projected workforce.

How much is the welfare fee, and who actually pays it?

On paper, the platform pays. Karnataka's Act allows a fee of 1% to 5% of each payout to a gig worker, and the state notified 1% from 13 February 2026 with per-transaction caps of ₹0.50 to ₹1.50. A two-wheeler food delivery carries at most ₹0.50 in fee, however large the order. Bihar allows 1% to 2% of each payout. Rajasthan sets a rate per transaction by notification, and Telangana leaves the rate to the government.

In practice, watch your payout statements. We found nothing in these Acts that lets a platform deduct its own fee from your earnings, but platforms can and do change rate cards and incentive slabs. If your per-order pay drops the same week a fee starts, ask the platform in writing what changed and keep the reply.

For a business that hires through an aggregator, the fee usually shows up as a pass-through line or a quiet price rise. Check if your service agreement lets the vendor add statutory levies without notice. If it does, ask for a clause that caps any pass-through at the notified rate and requires a written breakdown with each invoice. That way a 1% fee stays a 1% fee and does not become a reason for a broader price rise.

What benefits can a gig worker claim?

Bihar spells out the most. Its Act pays ₹4 lakh to a family after an accidental death on duty, ₹2.5 lakh for disability above 60%, ₹74,000 for disability of 40% to 60%, ₹16,000 for a hospital stay over a week and ₹5,400 for a shorter one. Workers treated under Ayushman Bharat cannot also claim the hospitalisation relief.

Every one of those payments depends on two things: certification of the cause of injury or death, and e-Shram registration. Registration costs nothing and takes a phone, Aadhaar and a bank account. If you have not done it, do it before you need it, and tell your family it exists.

Other states route benefits through their welfare boards, so the scheme detail comes later in rules. Keep your trip logs, app screenshots and payout history. A board will want proof you were working for a platform when something happened. If you work for two apps at once, keep records for both so you can show which one you were working for at the time.

What these laws mean for platforms and businesses

Fines vary wildly. Rajasthan can fine an aggregator up to ₹5 lakh for a first contravention and up to ₹50 lakh for a repeat, the highest ceiling among the state laws we reviewed. Bihar allows up to ₹2 lakh, a year in jail, or both for not paying the fee. Telangana escalates from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh, then ₹1.5 lakh, then five times the fee due. Jharkhand's ceiling reportedly reaches ₹10 lakh for specific offences.

If you run a platform or a staffing business across several states, map each state's registration, fee base and filing timeline separately. A turnover-based fee in Jharkhand needs different accounting from a payout-based fee in Karnataka. Build the fee into your rate cards openly rather than clawing it back from workers, which invites disputes and regulator attention.

What to do next

• Register on e-Shram if you have not, and check your details match your platform account.
• Find out if your state's Act is in force or still waiting on notification.
• Save monthly payout statements so you can spot a cut that coincides with a new fee.
• Read the clauses in your platform terms on deductions, deactivation and unilateral changes.
• If you hire through a platform, check who bears statutory levies under your agreement.

Sources and method

Every number on this page comes from the sources below, each opened and read on or before October 18, 2026. A second, independent review checked every figure against its source and corrected anything that did not match. 6 of 6 State entries were confirmed; any that could not be are marked "Not yet confirmed" and left out of every count and chart.

1. NITI Aayog, Government of India, India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy: Perspectives and Recommendations on the Future of Work (June 2022)
2. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 5 Years of e-Shram Portal: Building an Inclusive Social Security Ecosystem (25 August 2026)
3. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Labour Reforms: Formalising and Safeguarding India's Gig & Platform Workforce (9 December 2025)
4. EY India, EY Alert: New labour codes implemented across the country effective 21 November 2025 (21 November 2025)
5. Government of Rajasthan, Rajasthan Gazette (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023 (Act No. 29 of 2023) (14 September 2023)
6. Government of Karnataka, Karnataka Gazette (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 (Karnataka Act No. 72 of 2025) (12 September 2025)
7. Government of Bihar, Bihar Gazette Extraordinary (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Bihar Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 (Bihar Act 08 of 2025) (12 August 2025)
8. Government of Telangana, Telangana Gazette Extraordinary (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research), Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026 (Act No. 21 of 2026) (28 April 2026)
9. Labour Employment Training and Factories Department, Government of Telangana (listed by Simpliance; G.O. text not openly viewable), G.O.Ms.No. 7: Notification regarding implementation of the Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026 (listing only; G.O. text behind login) (listing updated 1 June 2026)
10. SCC Online, Karnataka Government notifies Gig Workers' Welfare Fee as mandatory (18 February 2026)
11. TeamLease RegTech, Jharkhand Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2025 (1 April 2026)
12. TeamLease RegTech, Maharashtra Gig and Platform Workers Rights and Protection Bill, 2026 (8 July 2026)