Karnataka has issued a notification constituting the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Development Board under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare Development) Act, 2025. The move creates a dedicated statutory body to implement welfare measures for platform-based gig workers, including food delivery and app-based transport workers.
Board Composition
The Labour Minister will serve as the ex-officio President of the Board. Senior officials from the Labour Department, the Department of Information Technology, and the Commercial Taxes Department have been included as ex-officio members. The Chief Executive Officer of the Board will function as the Member Secretary. The Board will also include:
- Four representatives of gig workers from recognised unions.
- Four representatives of aggregator platforms.
- Members linked to major platform-based businesses such as Porter, Zomato, Uber, and Amazon.
Registration and Identification
Both aggregators and gig workers will be required to register with the Board. Aggregator platforms have been given 45 days to complete registration and submit details of all gig workers engaged through their platforms. Each registered gig worker will receive a unique identification number. This number will be used by the Board to disburse social security benefits and maintain welfare records.
Welfare Fund and Fee Structure
The welfare fund will be built from three sources:
- Welfare fee collected from aggregators.
- Contributions from gig workers.
- Grants from the State and Central governments.
The State has तय a welfare fee of 1% to 1.5%, with a cap, on aggregator platforms. The rate will vary across sectors and business models. The levy has been kept low initially to support fund creation without imposing an immediate heavy burden on platforms.
Social Security Framework
The Board will assess whether the fund collections are sufficient to extend social security benefits to gig workers. If the fund is found inadequate, the welfare fee may be revised up to a maximum of 5%. The framework marks step towards formal recognition, registration, and welfare coverage of gig workers in Karnataka.
Last Modified: April 27, 2026