Union Minister for Labour & Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday stressed over the need for a meaningful dialogue between employers and workers for equipping them with new-age skill sets to harness vast opportunities in AI, automation, robotics and other cutting-edge technologies opening up.
Inaugurating the National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour & Awards 2026, Mandaviya stated that the country’s labour and social security ecosystem should evolve in tandem with changing times and emerging economic realities. In that context, he recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2026, wherein the Prime Minister had announced that one crore youth would be trained in AI skills over the next one year.
“A future-ready labour ecosystem must be built on partnership — not binaries of pro-labour or pro-industry. India’s Labour Codes are an important step towards a modern, pro-growth framework that strengthens workers’ rights while enabling ease of compliance for industry. As AI and new technologies reshape the world of work, we must promote responsible adoption, continuous skilling and meaningful social dialogue between employers and workers,” Mandaviya said.
The Minister also announced launch of “Shram Samvad” awareness campaign with effect from Monday, under which industrial clusters across 316 districts in all 36 States and Union Territories will be covered over the next 90 days.
Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, flagged the importance of strengthening the ecosystem for both formal and informal workers. Noting that a significant share of India’s workforce remains in the informal sector, the Secretary emphasised the need to enhance social protection, strengthen career guidance and employment linkages, and accord greater dignity to vocational and skilled occupations.
Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) advised people to contribute to the EPFO which will be available at the end of working years, and asked employers to send this message to all their employees.
He reiterated that EPFO is also working towards reducing costs and litigation for employers and under the EPFO 3.0, and trying to make services as seamless as core banking services, while improving ease of access and the overall user experience.
The event was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Employers’ Federation of India (EFI) around the theme “Reengineering Industrial Relations & Workplace Participation in the AI Age”, in the national capital.
Published on September 28, 2026
