India Honoured With ISSA Award 2025 For Outstanding Achievement In Social Security

India has been conferred with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Award for outstanding achievement in social security, recognising the country’s significant efforts to expand and strengthen social welfare coverage over the past decade.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, received the award on behalf of the Government of India at the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) 2025 held in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Announcing the achievement on his official X handle, Mandaviya said, “Proud to share that India has been conferred with the prestigious ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security 2025. This recognition is a testament to the efforts of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji in ensuring social welfare for every citizen.”

Highlighting India’s progress, Mandaviya noted that social security coverage has expanded rapidly over the last decade, rising from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025.

This milestone now covers more than 940 million citizens, making India one of the fastest-growing nations in the world in terms of social protection outreach.

The award, presented by the Geneva-based ISSA, affiliated with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), recognises countries demonstrating exceptional commitment, innovation, and sustainability in extending social protection. The selection criteria include impact, scalability, and long-term sustainability of reforms.

Enhanced Global Standing

Following the increase in social protection coverage, India’s voting share in the ISSA General Assembly has risen to thirty (30), the highest for any country, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Addressing the WSSF audience, Mandaviya emphasised the guiding principle of Antyodaya under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, aimed at empowering the last person in the line and fostering inclusive and universal social protection.

Mandaviya also highlighted India’s development of an extensive digital public infrastructure to ensure efficient last-mile delivery of social welfare benefits.

He specifically mentioned the e-Shram portal, a national digital database connecting over 310 million unorganised workers to social security schemes through a multilingual, user-friendly interface.

The e-Shram portal represents a ‘One-Stop Solution’ for unorganised workers, providing seamless access to government welfare schemes and ensuring transparency and efficiency in benefits delivery.

The ISSA Award 2025, conferred every three years, recognises countries achieving exceptional progress in social protection systems.

The award ceremony, part of the WSSF, brought together over 1,200 social security policymakers and professionals from 163 countries.

India becomes the fifth recipient of this prestigious award since its inception, joining leading nations worldwide in social protection coverage.

The recognition underscores the government’s commitment to inclusive development and reinforces India’s leadership role in global social security reforms.

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