Growth with Dignity

India's new Employment Linked Incentive Scheme marks a transformative leap towards formalising jobs and building a dignified, rights-based workforce vital to the vision of Viksit Bharat

- HIRANMAY PANDYA THE WRITER IS PRESIDENT, BHARATIYA MAZDOOR SANGH

The much-awaited Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, recently approved by the Government of India, is a welcome relief for the country's workforce. As a trade union, we recognise this as a long-standing demand finally taking shape, a proactive policy that affirms the government's commitment to employment generation, skill development and formalisation. We commend the Government for launching this first-of-its-kind initiative, which is expected to benefit over 3.5 crore workers including over 1.9 crore first-time workers. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) sees this as an affirmation of the government's intent to prioritise workers in the nation-building process.

The ELI Scheme is part of a broader employment support framework that complements existing initiatives such as the government's internship and skill development schemes launched last year. Together, these programmes aim to improve employability, create formal job pathways, and strengthen labour protections, particularly for youth from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where job access and social security coverage have historically lagged.