Industry interaction with Smt Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Minister of Labour & Employment, Government of India

Strengthening stakeholder collaboration on Employment, Social Security and Labour Reforms
 
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Employers’ Federation of India (EFI) organized Industry Interaction with Ms Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt. of India on 29th August, 2024 in Bengaluru. The session witnessed participation from more than 200 industry members to gain insights on labour and employment reforms.
 
Smt Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment Government of India highlighted about the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business reforms introduced by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, GoI. She emphasized on decriminalization of labour laws, increasing female workforce participation, social security, labour welfare that will drive inclusive growth in India. Ms Dawra also mentioned on employment, an improving trend is evidenced by PLFS & KLEMS data, besides EPFO net subscribers have gone up by more than 6 crores since Sept 2017. The growth driver of employment in non-farm sector are services, construction, trade & manufacturing. In this context, to improve job creation, quality of jobs & formalisation of labour market, with access to social security schemes, the ELI Schemes have been announced in the budget 2024-25.
 
Mr Kamal Bali, Immediate Past Chairman, CII Southern Region, and President & Managing Director, Volvo Group, highlighted on the foundation for a productive discussion on the evolving landscape of India’s growth and current business ecosystem in India.
 
One of the highlights of the event was the interactive session focusing on Social Security measures, featuring in-depth discussions with representatives from the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). Participants explored the recent reforms introduced by these organizations, which have significantly enhanced service delivery and streamlined compliance mechanisms. The session emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration between the government and industry to ensure the successful implementation of these reforms.
 
Mr Ashok Kumar Singh, Director General, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation conducted the interaction on ESIC. The interaction highlighted importance of dispensary and mobile ambulance service for ease of business for small scale industry. Several queries related to facilities of ESIC, Challans, dispensary were addressed by ESIC officials. Challenges faced by employers for registering employees especially disabled employees were raised.
 
Digital signature, online claims, ease of compliance, higher pension were key issues discussed by employers during interaction with EPFO. There should be integration and compatibility among ministries for various initiatives and schemes for on-the-job training employees and interns.
 
The Employment Linked Schemes were also focus during the interaction. The industry shared various suggestions for smooth implementation of the schemes.
 
The event concluded on a positive note, with participants expressing their appreciation for the valuable insights shared by Smt Sumita Dawra and other speakers. The interaction not only provided clarity on the government's policies but also fostered a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the labour and employment sector in India.
 
CII extends its gratitude to all participants and looks forward to continued engagement with the Ministry of Labour & Employment to support the ongoing reforms and initiatives aimed at enhancing the Ease of Doing Business. Such interactions between Government & Industry creates an awareness of changes and steps taken to create a positive industry environment for both the workers as well as Industry.

Bengaluru,
29 August 2024