Indian Labour Reforms Revisited: A Needonomics Perspective on Balance and Justice

Prof. Madan Mohan Goel Propounder, Needonomics& Former Vice-Chancellor

India’s long-awaited labor reforms—merging 29 central labor laws into four consolidated and modernized Labour Codes—represent a significant step in reshaping the relationship between employers, employees, and the state. These four codes on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions were envisioned as transformative reforms capable of enhancing ease of doing business, formalizing employment, and ensuring welfare for workers across sectors.

Needonomics School of Thought (NST), rooted in the principle of “need-based, rational, and balanced decision-making,” welcomes this reform as a necessary structural intervention. However, NST also critically evaluates whether these codes truly deliver the transformational change promised, or whether they simply reorganize an existing maze of labor regulations into a more compact but equally complex structure.

1 From 29 Laws to 4 Codes: A Structural Shift without a Leap

The consolidation of 29 labour laws into four codes is seen as an overdue simplification. For decades, India’s labor law framework was a forest—dense, overlapping, and difficult to navigate. NST acknowledges that the pruning of this forest is a welcome administrative relief. Yet, simplification in form does not always guarantee simplification in spirit.

NST believes that the reform represents a “slow creep” rather than a bold leap. The codes reorganize, compress, and structurally streamline the old laws, but they do not entirely rewrite the philosophical foundation of India’s labor regulation. In several areas, the codes appear more business-friendly but without provoking strong labour backlash—a sign of incrementalism rather than structural transformation.

2 Employer Flexibility: Pragmatic but Limited

One of the most debated changes is the increase in threshold for retrenchment, layoffs, and closure permissions—from 100 workers to 300. This shift gives companies greater flexibility to adjust workforce sizes, potentially boosting competitiveness in labor-intensive sectors.

Similarly, the introduction of fixed-term employment allows employers to hire for short durations without the expense of long-term obligations. Allowing women to work night shifts with adequate safeguards also reflects progressive thinking aligned with NST’s commitment to gender justice and productive inclusivity.

Yet NST notes that flexibility is uneven. Fixed-term contracts may lead to job insecurity if misused. While the codes promise worker protections such as pro-rated benefits and gratuity for fixed-term workers after just one year, monitoring proper implementation remains a significant challenge.

3 Minimum Wage Puzzle: Complexity Continues

One of the most concerning elements for NST is the continuation of complexity in minimum wage structures. India now has 24 different minimum wage slabs—four skill categories across six working conditions.

Instead of simplifying the wage system, the codes have institutionalized a multilayered structure that requires deep administrative and enforcement capacity. NST raises serious questions:

• Who will monitor such varied wage categories?
• Do states have the institutional capacity to implement and enforce?
• Will this create fresh avenues for disputes and litigation?

Needonomics advocates simplicity, transparency, and the minimization of compliance burden. From that perspective, the wage framework falls short.

4 Social Security: Expanded Promises, Escalating Costs

Perhaps the most progressive element of the new codes is the extension of social security benefits to gig workers and platform workers—an often ignored segment of the workforce in a rapidly digitalizing economy. Workers now potentially become eligible for provident fund (PF), Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) benefits, and insurance.

NST considers this inclusion essential for a just and humane labor system. However, these benefits come at a cost: companies face escalating financial burdens in contributing to social security funds.

For businesses transitioning from informal to formal employment, this may lead to nearly 50 percent addition to wage costs. While NST values social justice, it also highlights the importance of economic feasibility. Excessive compliance costs may deter firms from formalization, limiting the effectiveness of the policy.

5  Wages, Benefits, and the Cost of Labor Competitiveness

The codes redefine wages to include “basic salary plus allowances,” tightening the scope for artificially suppressing PF contributions. For workers, this is a gain. For employers, the wage bill increases.

India’s comparative advantage in labor-intensive industries is rooted in globally competitive wages. However, with stricter wage definitions, overtime pay set at double the regular wages, and a cap of 125 overtime hours per quarter, the cost of labour rises substantially.

NST warns that rising labor costs without corresponding productivity gains may weaken India’s long-standing competitiveness in areas such as textiles, leather, toys, and assembly operations. This is especially critical as India aims to attract global supply chains under the “China-plus-one” strategy.

6 Monitoring and Evaluation:  Missing Backbone

While the codes promise flexibility with fairness, the actualization of this balance depends entirely on implementation. NST draws attention to the significant gap between policy intent and on-ground practice. Without robust monitoring mechanisms, digital compliance systems, and transparent grievance redressal platforms, many provisions risk remaining aspirational.

The role of state governments becomes even more important, as labor is a concurrent subject. States must not only legislate but also enforce. NST believes that the shift to four central codes expands rather than reduces the scope of state intervention.

7 NST’s Balanced Appraisal: Reform with Reserve

From a Needonomics perspective, the new labor codes are a blend of progress and pitfalls:

Positive Aspects Appreciated by NST:

• Consolidation of 29 laws into four codes
• Flexibility for employers to adapt in dynamic markets
• Inclusion of women in night shifts
• Extension of social security to gig and platform workers
• Pro-rated benefits for fixed-term employees
• Clarity in wage definitions

Concerns Raised by NST:

• Too many minimum wage slabs complicate compliance
• Increased cost of formal employment may discourage formalization
• Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms remain vague
• Excessive state intervention despite claims of simplification
• Risk of job insecurity through fixed-term contracts
• Rising labor costs in labor-intensive sectors threaten global competitiveness

Needonomics teaches us the principle of need-based moderation—not excess flexibility for employers, and not excessive protectionism for workers. The ideal labour law should promote a balanced ecosystem where economic needs, social justice, and sustainable development co-exist harmoniously.

8 Democracy at Work: A Needonomics Conclusion

Needonomics School of Thought ultimately views the new labor codes as an attempt to create “democracy at work”—a system where employers gain operational freedom and workers enjoy improved rights and benefits. However, the true measure of success lies in the implementation, not the drafting. India needs a labor ecosystem that promotes job creation instead of job protection, encourages formalization rather than penalizing it, simplifies compliance instead of duplicating complexity and enhances productivity alongside worker welfare. The labour codes move the needle, but not enough. They represent an evolutionary reform rather than a revolutionary one. NST urges policymakers, corporates, trade unions, and civil society to engage in continuous dialogue, ensuring that labour reforms remain aligned with the nation’s developmental needs and the principles of Needonomics—simplicity, rationality, fairness, and accountability. Only then can India truly achieve a labour market that supports its aspiration for Viksit Bharat—a developed, dignified, and harmonious nation by 2047.