The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is providing health security to around 25 crore people across the country, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.
Speaking at the CII-EFI National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour & Awards 2026, Mandaviya highlighted the scale of India’s social security programmes and the role of ESIC in providing healthcare support to insured workers and their families.
ESIC is a statutory social security organisation that provides medical and cash benefits to eligible insured workers and their dependants. Its healthcare network includes hospitals, dispensaries and other medical facilities across the country.
The minister said the government was continuing to expand social security coverage while also focusing on the implementation of labour reforms.
Mandaviya also spoke about India’s approach to industrial relations, saying that international labour practices and frameworks need to be considered alongside the country’s own economic and social conditions.
He highlighted the importance of ensuring that welfare and social security programmes reach the intended beneficiaries.
The minister also referred to other welfare initiatives, including food-grain support and direct income transfers to farmers and women beneficiaries.
ESIC’s expanding coverage reflects the importance of employment-linked health protection in India’s social security system. For insured workers, the scheme provides access to medical treatment for themselves and eligible family members through the ESIC network.
The government has also been reviewing the utilisation of social-security funds and the implementation of labour-related measures in different states.
The latest figures shared by the minister underline the scale of ESIC’s healthcare role as India continues to expand formal social-security coverage and access to medical services for workers and their families.
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