(MENAFN- Live Mint) NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday released the draft National Labour & Employment Policy-Shram Shakti Niti 2025 for public consultation, outlining a renewed vision for a fair, inclusive, and technology-driven world of work in line with India's Viksit Bharat @2047 goal.

Marking a shift from regulation to facilitation, Shram Shakti Niti 2025 repositions the ministry as a proactive“employment facilitator.” The policy aims to drive convergence among workers, employers, and training institutions through trusted, data-backed systems, the ministry said in a statement.

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Central to this approach is the National Career Service (NCS), which will serve as India's Digital Public Infrastructure for Employment, offering AI-enabled job matching, credential verification, and skill alignment across sectors and regions.

“The policy also emphasizes universal social security, occupational safety and health, women and youth empowerment, and the creation of green and technology-enabled jobs. It aims to build a resilient and continuously skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of emerging technologies, climate transitions, and global value chains,” the ministry said.

By integrating key national databases such as EPFO , ESIC, e-Shram, and NCS into a unified labour stack, the policy envisions an inclusive and interoperable digital ecosystem that supports lifelong learning, social protection, and income security.

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The new policy seeks to create a unified, future-ready labour ecosystem by leveraging technology, expanding social security, and addressing structural shifts in the labour market. It complements the recent consolidation of 29 central labour laws into four simplified labour codes, including: Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2020; Social Security Code, 2020

“The draft policy reflects extensive stakeholder consultations and emphasizes cooperative federalism, evidence-based policymaking, and digital transparency,” the ministry said.

“It provides a long-term framework for coordinated action among the Centre, States, industry, and social partners to ensure that the benefits of growth are shared widely and equitably,” it added.

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According to the draft document, the policy is guided by four pillars: dignity of labour, universal inclusion, cooperative federalism, and data-driven governance. It also envisions a resilient framework built on convergence across institutions and digital systems.

The policy identifies seven strategic priorities: universal and portable social security ; occupational safety and health; employment and future readiness; women and youth empowerment; ease of compliance and formalization; technology and green transitions; convergence through good governance.

The draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 is available on the websites of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the Directorate General of Employment, and the National Career Service. Stakeholders and the public can submit comments and suggestions by 27 October.

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