Budget 2026‑27 Formalises Gig Workforce With ID Cards and Health Cover, Key to Urban Mobility

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced targeted measures for platform-based workers, a segment closely tied to last-mile delivery and app-based mobility services.

“Gig workers on online platforms play a vital role in driving India’s new-age services economy; recognising their contribution, the government will facilitate the issuance of identity cards and registration of gig workers on the e-Shram portal; they will also be provided health coverage under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana; this measure is expected to benefit nearly one crore gig workers,” Sitharaman said.

Gig workers form a critical user base for India’s automobile market, particularly in food delivery, e-commerce, courier services and hyperlocal logistics; for most platform workers, two-wheelers and three-wheelers function as income-generating tools rather than personal vehicles.

Electric vehicles are also gaining traction in gig operations due to lower operating costs and predictable maintenance; delivery and logistics platforms have emerged as some of the largest institutional adopters of electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers in urban markets.

Industry executives said the formalisation of gig workers through identity cards and access to health cover could improve workforce stability across delivery-led mobility platforms; higher workforce stability supports fleet utilisation, reduces churn and enables predictable vehicle deployment.

The Budget also reiterated the government’s intent to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacities and support the electronic equipment industry; this has relevance for gig-driven mobility, as electric vehicles used in delivery applications are among the most electronics-intensive segments of the automobile industry.

Such vehicles rely heavily on battery systems, power electronics, motor controllers and connected technologies; improvements in localisation and supply-chain efficiency directly affect vehicle uptime and operating economics for gig workers.

While no vehicle-specific incentives were announced for gig workers, stakeholders said the measures reinforce the central role of gig labour in sustaining India’s platform-led mobility and last-mile delivery economy.