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Purpose of the National Policy
   The National Policy for Home-Based Workers seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for the recognition, protection, promotion, and socio-economic empowerment of home-based workers across India. The Policy aims to address the unique challenges faced by home-based workers by promoting decent work, facilitating their integration into the formal economy, expanding access to social protection, and ensuring their inclusion in the country’s economic and social development, consistent with the Constitution of India, applicable labour laws, and the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The Policy is intended to :
Recognize home-based workers as an integral part of India's workforce and economy and acknowledge their contribution to economic growth, household incomes, and sustainable development.
Promote decent work by ensuring fair remuneration, safe and healthy working conditions, equality of opportunity, dignity of labour, and protection of the rights of home-based workers.
Facilitate universal access to comprehensive social protection, including health care, maternity benefits, disability support, old-age security, insurance, and other welfare measures in accordance with applicable laws and government schemes.
Promote social dialogue and effective institutional mechanisms for consultation, grievance redressal, and collaboration among Government, employers, contractors, and organisations of home-based workers.
Enhance opportunities for skill development, upskilling, reskilling, digital inclusion, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, technology adoption, and improved access to domestic and international markets.
Strengthen institutional mechanisms for the identification, registration, enumeration, data collection, monitoring, and effective delivery of public services and welfare benefits to home-based workers.
Foster an enabling legal, regulatory, and policy environment for the protection, promotion, and sustainable development of home-based workers and facilitate their progressive transition from the informal to the formal economy.
Promote gender equality and the economic empowerment of women, who constitute a significant proportion of home-based workers, while ensuring inclusion of other vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Contribute to the realization of the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and India's commitment to inclusive, equitable, resilient, and sustainable development by ensuring that no home-based worker is left behind.
Encourage convergence and coordination among the Central Government, State Governments, local authorities, employers, contractors, producer organisations, cooperatives, workers' organisations, civil society organisations, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
Vision and Mission
Our Vision
To build an inclusive, equitable, and resilient ecosystem in which home-based workers are recognized as an integral part of India's workforce and economy, enjoy dignity, decent work, social protection, and sustainable livelihoods, and are empowered through equitable opportunities, skills, digital inclusion, and access to markets to contribute meaningfully to the realization of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Our Mission
To establish an enabling policy, legal, and institutional framework for the recognition, protection, and socio-economic empowerment of home-based workers through universal social protection, decent work, skill development, digital and financial inclusion, improved market access, and effective delivery of public services.
Why a National Policy for Home-Based Workers is Needed
   Home-based workers constitute a significant segment of India’s workforce and contribute substantially to household incomes, local economies, manufacturing, services, exports, and global value chains. A large proportion of these workers are women, whose labour supports both the formal and informal sectors. Despite their economic contribution, home-based workers remain among the least visible segments of the workforce and often lack adequate recognition, legal protection, access to social security, and opportunities for sustainable livelihood enhancement.
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   The nature of home-based work presents distinct challenges, including low and irregular earnings, absence of written contracts, dependence on intermediaries, occupational health and safety risks, limited access to markets, finance, technology, and skills, and inadequate coverage under existing labour and welfare systems. These challenges are further compounded by gender inequalities, social exclusion, and the predominance of informal work arrangements.
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   A comprehensive National Policy is therefore necessary to provide a coherent framework for the recognition, protection, and socio-economic empowerment of home-based workers. The Policy seeks to promote decent work, strengthen access to social protection and public services, facilitate registration and reliable data systems, improve access to skills, digital technologies, financial services, entrepreneurship, and markets, encourage collective organisation and social dialogue, and foster convergence among the Central Government, State Governments, local authorities, employers, worker organisations, cooperatives, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.
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   The Policy also seeks to facilitate the progressive transition of home-based work from the informal to the formal economy by creating an enabling policy, institutional, and regulatory environment that supports productivity, sustainable livelihoods, and equitable economic participation.
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   By addressing the multidimensional challenges faced by home-based workers, the National Policy will contribute to poverty reduction, gender equality, decent work, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable development. It also supports the realization of the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and is consistent with India’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and internationally recognised labour standards, including the principles reflected in the International Labour Organization’s Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177), and Home Work Recommendation
The specific objectives of this National Policy are to:
Recognize home-based workers as workers under the applicable labour laws and ensure that they are entitled to the rights, protections, and benefits available under such laws, including access to social security and welfare measures.
Recognize and promote the contribution of home-based workers to their families, communities, and the national economy, and ensure that their work is duly valued and acknowledged in public policy and development planning.
Improve the earnings, working conditions, occupational safety and health, and social security of home-based workers through appropriate legislative, administrative, and welfare measures.
Promote fair remuneration and timely payment for home-based workers, including transparent and equitable piece-rate systems, consistent with applicable laws and principles of decent work.
Promote the improvement of the homes and surrounding environment of home-based workers, recognizing that their homes also serve as workplaces, and facilitate access to basic infrastructure, safe working conditions, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, and other essential services.
Establish and strengthen effective tripartite and, where appropriate, multi-stakeholder mechanisms comprising representatives of the Government, employers, contractors, and organisations of home-based workers to promote social dialogue, resolve grievances, ensure fair working conditions, and facilitate effective implementation of this Policy.
Facilitate the transition of home-based work from the informal to the formal economy by promoting registration, access to social security, financial inclusion, skill development, digital literacy, market linkages, technology, and institutional support.
Facilitate the formation, registration, strengthening, and sustainability of organisations, associations, cooperatives, self-help groups, and trade unions of home-based workers to promote collective representation and participation in decision-making processes.
Enhance access to education, skill development, entrepreneurship, financial services, technology, and markets to improve productivity, income generation, and sustainable livelihoods for home-based workers.
Develop mechanisms for identification, registration, data collection, research, monitoring, and evaluation of home-based workers to support evidence-based policymaking, effective implementation, and periodic review of this Policy.