The first G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting under the South African Presidency concluded today on 21st Feb 2025 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The EWG priorities are (i) Inclusive Growth & Youth Empowerment and (ii) Social Security & Digitalisation for an Inclusive Future of Work, as was discussed in the working sessions of the EWG meeting.
During the four days, delegates of G20 Members and invited states made interventions and presentations on key focus areas of the G20 Labour & Employment track. Ms Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment) led the Indian delegation and made interventions from the Indian side on both priorities. Secretary took an evidence-based approach to increased social security coverage in India, and the rising workforce in employment, as well as presented case studies on NCS and eShram to emphasize harnessing of technology by India for labour welfare.
Secretary Labour highlighted India’s transformative use of technology to (i) onboard workers in the unorganised sector and build a national database on EShram, and further utilise the portal for building access of workers to various social security schemes; (ii) use National Career Service (NCS) Portal to bridge the supply-demand in the labour market through convergence of various stakeholders- employers, job-seekers, counselling and skilling services, etc. Case studies were presented on both EShram and NCS, both of which drew much interest from delegates of G20 member states on India’s strides in harnessing technology for the labour market.
Case Study 1: eShram Portal
India presented the eShram Portal as a case study, showcasing its role as a comprehensive national database for unorganized and platform workers, for ensuring seamless access to social security benefits as a ‘one-stop solution.’ Available in 22 languages and powered by Bhashini, the portal assigns a Universal Account Number (UAN) to each worker, enhancing transparency and accountability. Further, the platform workers’ module, launched on December 12, 2024, enables aggregators to onboard workers and share engagement details, facilitating intelligent mapping to their employers. This initiative strengthens the last-mile delivery of social security benefits, empowering millions in the informal sector and exemplifying India’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive welfare.
Case Study 2: National Career Service (NCS) Portal
India’s effort to leverage technology to bridge the Jobs-Skills gap was presented through a case study on the NCS Portal. The Portal had mobilized over 440 million vacancies and registered 4 million employers, bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. NCS is also integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Upskilling initiatives in green jobs, AI, and the platform economy were prioritized to meet future workforce demands. The QS World Future Skills Index 2025 recognized India’s strength in ‘ready-to-recruit’ markets for digital, AI and green jobs.
Bilateral with ILO, OECD
Follow-up on India’s G20 2023 Presidency concerning developing an international framework for mutual recognition of skills and qualifications has been prioritised by the delegation. Accordingly, on the side-lines of the 1st G20 EWG meeting, India held bilateral discussions with ILO, OECD and Germany regarding the skill gap mapping feasibility study, its work plan and timelines.
Secretary briefed on the latest updates regarding funding, the status of agreement with ILO to complete the study, and collaboration with concerned stakeholders. It was agreed that the feasibility study will focus on three key sectors: IT, Green Jobs, and Care-related roles.
Given India’s demographic dividend and the projection of India to increasingly meet incremental global workforce requirements over the next decade, this study assumes great significance for the facilitation of international mobility of qualified Indians.
Bilateral with the Netherlands
A bilateral discussion was held with the Netherlands, focusing on India’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and its alignment with global efforts to address poverty through the concept of ‘Living Wages,’ thus improving living standards. Collaboration with the Netherlands and the ILO was highlighted as critical to advancing living wages, with proposals for the exchange of best practices and technical discussion on the estimation of living wages. India reiterated its dedication to collaborating with international partners to advance decent work, sustainable wage systems, and enhanced livelihoods for workers.
Bilateral with Germany
During the bilateral discussion with Germany, the importance of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) entered by India with Germany in the month of October 2024 was highlighted. The JDoI is important for enhancing cooperation in work in global supply chains, human-centric AI and its impact on Jobs, developing Gig economy, a global skills referencing framework, etc. India reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with Germany, fostering innovative projects and a shared vision for an inclusive and equitable future of work.
