Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the significant increase in India’s social protection coverage, emphasizing the government’s unwavering commitment to welfare-driven development.

Responding to a post by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on X, Modi said: “This is a commendable rise, indicating our commitment to welfare-driven development and ensuring that our various pro-people schemes reach the maximum number of people.”

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Quoting the latest data from the International Labour Organization’s ILOSTAT database, Mandaviya stated in his post on X: “India has achieved a historic milestone in the realm of social protection coverage, recording one of the most significant expansions globally… India’s social security coverage has increased from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, an unprecedented 45 percentage point surge over the past decade.”

Thanks to the government’s focused welfare policies for the poor and working-class populations, India now ranks second globally in terms of beneficiary count, providing social protection to approximately 94 crore citizens.

The ILO has officially published India’s achievement on its dashboard, acknowledging the government’s efforts in building an inclusive and rights-based social protection ecosystem.

As part of these efforts, the government has implemented several pro-people schemes including Ayushman Bharat, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), and the eShram portal to ensure financial stability, healthcare access, and food security for millions.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also launched a comprehensive data-pooling initiative to consolidate information from various welfare schemes, enabling a more accurate assessment of social security coverage.

India’s leadership in digital governance and transparency in welfare distribution has been further solidified by this achievement.

More than 24.8 crore people have escaped multidimensional poverty due to numerous social security measures, reflecting the far-reaching impact of government interventions.

India’s progress has also contributed to a five percentage point increase in global social protection coverage, underscoring the country’s growing influence in shaping international welfare outcomes.