A government backgrounder published on 31 October sets out the recent expansion of India’s social-security framework, with EPFO reform at the centre. It notes that the wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage was raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month in September 2026.
The government expects the change to extend mandatory coverage to more than 51 lakh additional employees. The broader social-security architecture also includes e-Shram for unorganised workers, PM-SYM and other welfare programmes, alongside efforts to simplify provident-fund withdrawals and claim settlement.
Coverage numbers, however, are only one measure of social protection. Policy quality also depends on continuity of contributions, portability, benefit adequacy, enforcement and whether informal, gig and low-income workers can effectively access schemes.