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ARTICLE · 27 NOVEMBER 2025

India Implements Four New Labour Codes: A Transformative Shift In The Workforce Framework

Maheshwari & Co. Advocates & Legal Consultants
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India's labour governance structure has undergone a radical change with the implementation of its four labour codes. These codes: the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security...

IndiaEmployment and HR
Navya Saxena
Navya Saxena
Khushi Gill
Khushi Gill

India's labour governance structure has undergone a radical change with the implementation of its four labour codes. These codes: the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2020, replace 29 out-of-date core labour laws as of November 21, 2025. The goals of this consolidation are to improve worker welfare, modernize India's labour ecosystem, and bring the nation's regulatory framework into compliance with international norms. This change is a significant advancement with broad ramifications for companies, attorneys, and employees alike.

The Need for Reform

India's labour law landscape has been marked for decades by its complexity, fragmentation, and inconsistent application across states and sectors. The dynamic, digitalized, gig-based, and international workplace of today is substantially different from the age in which many regulations

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