Mandaviya Launches 'Shram Samvad' Labour Codes Drive Across 316 Districts
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya announced a 90-day 'Shram Samvad' campaign on the Labour Codes covering industrial clusters in 316 districts across all states and UTs.
Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour & Awards 2026 in New Delhi on Tuesday. The event, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Employers' Federation of India (EFI), was built around the theme "Reengineering Industrial Relations & Workplace Participation in the AI Age".
Addressing the gathering, the Minister announced the launch of a mega awareness campaign on the Labour Codes, titled "Shram Samvad", beginning the same day. Under the programme, industrial clusters spread across 316 districts in all 36 States and Union Territories will be covered over the next 90 days.
Dr. Mandaviya underlined the importance of sustained engagement between employers and workers, saying that wherever there is dialogue, there is resolution. He called for the sharing and adoption of best practices to foster harmonious industrial relations and to ensure that the interests of both industry and workers advance together.
Speaking on the changing nature of work, the Minister highlighted the opportunities thrown up by Artificial Intelligence and stressed the need to equip India's youth with skills in AI, automation, robotics and other emerging technologies. He referred to the Prime Minister's Independence Day address, in which a target was set to train one crore young people in AI skills over the coming year.
On social security, Dr. Mandaviya noted that coverage has expanded sharply over the past decade, from 19% of the population in 2015 to 101 crore people, or 68% of the population, as recognised by the International Labour Organization. He urged a shift away from the conventional view that pro-industry policies are necessarily anti-labour, and vice versa, arguing that industry and the workforce must move forward as partners in nation-building.
Citing India's GDP growth of 7.8%, he said the country's economic expansion has been accompanied by rising employment opportunities, with every 1% of growth translating into 1.11% employment growth during 2017–23, against 0.008% earlier. He called on all stakeholders to work collectively towards Viksit Bharat 2047, with sustainable growth, expanded employment and a dignified workforce at its core.
A report titled "Employer's Guide Under New Labour Codes Framework: Fixed-Term Employment in India" was also released by the Minister during the inaugural session.
The conference was attended by Shri Puneet Kaura, Chairman, CII Northern Region; Shri Harshavardhan Chitale, Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Industrial Relations & Labour; and Mr Oktavianto Pasaribu, Deputy Director and Senior Advisor for Regional Partnership Development and Resource Mobilization at the ILO, along with other senior industry representatives and officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The two-day deliberations are expected to give industry and labour stakeholders a platform to exchange views on the future of work, and to deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges emerging from technological transformation and a shifting employment ecosystem.