Sun Feb 02 11:46:55 UTC 2025: ## India’s Budget 2025-26 Extends Healthcare Coverage to Millions of Gig Workers
**NEW DELHI** – India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) health insurance scheme to include millions of gig workers in the upcoming 2025-26 budget. This move aims to provide crucial healthcare access to a rapidly growing sector previously lacking structured benefits.
The inclusion of approximately 10 million online platform workers under PMJAY will offer cashless secondary and tertiary care hospitalization coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family annually. This addresses a major gap in social security for gig workers in sectors like ride-hailing, food delivery, and e-commerce, who often lack access to health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid leave.
The government’s decision aligns with its broader strategy to increase insurance penetration nationwide and reflects the burgeoning gig economy, projected to reach 23.5 million workers by 2029-30. Experts like Arup Mitra, Professor of Economics at South Asian University, lauded the move as a step towards social justice, highlighting the often precarious working conditions faced by gig workers.
The budget also prioritizes the growth of medical tourism under the ‘Heal in India’ initiative. The government plans to simplify visa regulations for medical tourists and foster private sector participation to position India as a leading global healthcare destination. This initiative, according to Anup Mehra, DGM Finance at PSRI Hospital, is expected to generate significant economic benefits and improve healthcare affordability. Successful implementation of these initiatives, however, hinges on careful execution.
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