How to Register on the e-Shram Portal for Unorganised Workers in India: Process, Eligibility and Benefits

Kaustav Chowdhury
Jul 13
5 min read

India's unorganised sector employs hundreds of millions of workers, from construction labourers and domestic helpers to street vendors and agricultural workers. For decades, these workers had limited access to the social security benefits available to their counterparts in the organised sector. The e-Shram portal, launched on August 26, 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, addresses this gap by creating a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW). This guide explains who can register, the step-by-step process, and the benefits available through the portal.

What is the e-Shram Portal?

The e-Shram portal (eshram.gov.in) is a centralised, Aadhaar-verified database designed to register and identify unorganised workers across India. It assigns each registered worker a Universal Account Number (UAN) and issues a digital e-Shram card. As of March 2025, over 30.68 crore workers have registered on the portal, with 53.68% of registrations being women workers. The portal serves as a bridge between unorganised workers and various government social security schemes, consolidating access to welfare benefits under a single platform.

The creation of this database is part of the broader social security framework envisioned under the Social Security Code, 2020, which aims to extend benefits beyond the organised sector where schemes like EPF and ESIC already operate.

Who is Eligible to Register on e-Shram?

Registration on the e-Shram portal is open to workers who meet the following criteria. The worker must be between 16 and 59 years of age. The worker must be employed in the unorganised sector, which includes occupations such as construction work, domestic work, street vending, agricultural labour, gig work and similar informal employment. The worker must possess an Aadhaar card with a mobile number linked to it, as OTP verification is required during registration. The worker must have a bank account. Importantly, the worker must not be a member of EPFO or ESIC, as those schemes already cover workers in the organised sector.

Registration on the e-Shram portal is entirely free of charge. Workers should not pay any fee to intermediaries or agents, as the government does not charge anything for registration.

Occupations Covered Under e-Shram

The portal covers a wide range of occupations in the unorganised sector. These include construction workers, domestic workers, street vendors, agricultural and allied workers, home-based workers, self-employed workers, migrant workers and gig or platform workers who are not already covered under ESIC or EPFO. The list is not exhaustive, and workers in any informal employment that falls outside the organised sector framework can register.

Women workers in the unorganised sector, who constitute more than half of all registrations, may also benefit from maternity-related protections. While the Maternity Benefit Act primarily applies to establishments in the organised sector, e-Shram registration helps connect women workers with relevant state-level maternity and welfare schemes.

How to Register on the e-Shram Portal: Step by Step

The registration process can be completed online in a few minutes. Visit eshram.gov.in and click on "Register on e-Shram" on the homepage. Enter your Aadhaar number and complete the OTP verification sent to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar. After verification, a registration form will appear. Fill in the required details: personal information (name, date of birth, gender, address), occupation and skill details, bank account information (IFSC code and account number), and nominee details. Review the information carefully and submit the form. Upon successful submission, you will receive a 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN) and a digital e-Shram card, which can be downloaded immediately.

Alternative Registration Methods

Workers who cannot complete the online registration themselves can visit the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) or State Seva Kendra. These centres provide assisted registration at no cost to the worker. CSC operators are authorised to help workers fill out the form, verify Aadhaar details and generate the e-Shram card. This option is particularly useful for workers who lack internet access or digital literacy. The assisted registration process requires the same documents: Aadhaar card, bank passbook and a linked mobile number for OTP verification.

Benefits of e-Shram Registration

Registration on the e-Shram portal provides access to several important benefits. The UAN card serves as an identity document for unorganised workers and can be used when applying for various government schemes. Registered workers are integrated with the National Career Service (NCS) portal, which provides access to job listings and employment opportunities matched to their skills and location.

Workers between 18 and 40 years of age can enrol in the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) pension scheme through the portal. Under PM-SYM, registered workers receive a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after attaining the age of 60, in exchange for small monthly contributions during their working years. The portal also integrates with the Skill India Digital platform, helping workers access skill development and training programmes. In October 2024, the government launched the One-Stop-Solution feature, which consolidates access to multiple social security schemes through a single interface on the e-Shram portal.

Registered workers are eligible for accidental insurance coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), which provides Rs 2 lakh for accidental death and Rs 1 lakh for partial disability. Workers in hazardous occupations such as construction may additionally be covered under workmen's compensation provisions if their employer falls within the scope of the applicable legislation.

Access to health insurance through schemes like Ayushman Bharat is another benefit that e-Shram registration facilitates, as the database helps identify eligible beneficiaries for government health coverage programmes.

Important Points to Remember

The e-Shram UAN is different from the EPFO UAN. Workers registered on e-Shram receive a 12-digit UAN specific to the e-Shram portal, while the EPFO UAN is assigned to workers in the organised sector who contribute to the Employees' Provident Fund. If an unorganised worker later transitions to formal employment and becomes an EPFO or ESIC member, their e-Shram registration may need to be updated accordingly.

Workers should ensure that their Aadhaar details, bank account and mobile number are current and correctly linked before attempting registration. Mismatched details are the most common reason for registration failures. The e-Shram card can be updated if occupation, address or bank details change after initial registration.

Key Takeaways

The e-Shram portal is a free, Aadhaar-verified registration system for unorganised workers aged 16 to 59 who are not members of EPFO or ESIC.

Over 30.68 crore workers have registered as of March 2025, with more than half being women workers.

Registration requires an Aadhaar card with a linked mobile number and a bank account. The process can be completed online at eshram.gov.in or at a Common Service Centre.

Benefits include a UAN identity card, integration with NCS for job search, access to PM-SYM pension (Rs 3,000 per month after age 60), Skill India Digital training and accidental insurance under PMSBY.

The One-Stop-Solution feature launched in October 2024 consolidates access to multiple social security schemes through the e-Shram portal.

Registration is entirely free. Workers should not pay any fee to agents or intermediaries.