Yet, despite their immense contributions to sectors like construction, agriculture and domestic work, India’s migrant workers remain on the fringes of policy discourse. The fragmented and informal nature of their labour makes policy interventions challenging, but times of crises have underscored the urgent need for change.

India reported 456 million internal migrants in 2011 — approximately 38 per cent of the country’s population. According to an ILO report, migrant workers contribute to 10 per cent of India’s GDP. 

Migrant Realities

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the precarious lives of India’s migrant workers. The sight of millions walking hundreds of kilometres home during the first lockdown in 2020 remains seared in the national memory. This crisis highlighted the lack of data and policy preparedness.

For instance, while the central government launched initiatives such as the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) to ensure food security for migrants, many found themselves excluded due to inadequate digitisation or inter-state bureaucratic challenges.

Data collection issues compound the problem. The Ministry of Labour and Employment’s decision to develop a national database for unorganised workers (e-Shram) is a step forward, but its coverage remains incomplete. By mid-2024, only 280 million workers had registered, leaving significant gaps for migrants.

Policy Complexity In A Federal Structure

India’s federal structure often exacerbates the challenges of addressing migrant labour. Labour laws are typically implemented at the state level, leading to inconsistent protections for migrants across borders. A worker migrating from Bihar to Maharashtra might face a completely different set of labour rights and benefits, despite performing the same tasks. This unevenness complicates enforcement and leaves many vulnerable to exploitation.

The Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 was envisioned to protect these workers but remains poorly implemented. Its outdated provisions and reliance on employers to ensure compliance are ill-suited to India’s large informal sector, where most migrant labour occurs.

Recent Efforts; Persistent Gaps

In response to the pandemic, the central government announced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan in 2020. It aimed to provide employment for returning migrant workers across 116 districts in six states. While it provided temporary relief, the programme’s limited scale and short-term focus failed to address the structural vulnerabilities of migrant workers.

A brighter spot has been the ONORC initiative, which allows migrants to access subsidised foodgrains across state borders. As of 2024, over 95 per cent of Fair Price Shops have been integrated into the scheme. However, challenges persist: Workers often lack awareness about their entitlements, and intra-state migration — just as significant as inter-state migration — remains a grey area.

The Road Ahead

Holistic policies are urgently needed to ensure that migrant workers benefit from India’s growth story. This begins with robust data collection through tools like e-Shram and collaboration between central and state governments. Regular migration-specific surveys could further refine understanding and enable targeted interventions.

Local governments must play a more significant role. Cities attracting large migrant populations like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, need to invest in affordable housing and healthcare systems tailored for these workers. For example, Kerala’s Apna Ghar project provides affordable housing to migrant workers, demonstrating how local solutions can meet a critical need.

India’s burgeoning gig economy, which relies heavily on migrants, must also be regulated. The Code on Social Security, 2020 remains mired in delays, leaving workers without clarity on crucial benefits like health insurance and pensions.

The challenges facing India’s migrant workers are not insurmountable but require concerted efforts from policymakers, employers and civil society. Beyond acknowledging their contributions to the economy, it is time to deliver tangible protections. A future where mobility within India does not equate to precarity is within reach, but only if policymakers prioritise the nation’s most mobile yet marginalised citizens.

“Explicitly including migration and migrant labourers in the Union Budget would ensure targeted interventions that address their specific needs. For instance, detailed data collection on migrant populations could improve policy formulation and implementation. 

Dedicated programmes for migrant workers’ health, education and social security could enhance their quality of life and economic contributions, as well as promote interstate collaboration on migrant issues.”

(This is Part 2 of a two-part story that explores the policies for migrants that travel for work in the country. Read Part 1 here)