The Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme will be extended across Gujarat from October 1, 2026, bringing establishments in 15 previously uncovered districts and 16 partially covered districts under its ambit.
According to a recent gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, employers and employees in these areas will have to make contributions under Section 29 of the Code on Social Security, 2020. Eligible employees will also be entitled to benefits under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme.
The 15 districts that were previously not covered are Amreli, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Botad, Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Dang, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Kutch, Mahisagar, Narmada, Patan, Tapi and Vav-Tharad.
The 16 districts with partial coverage are Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Mehsana, Morbi, Navsari, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat and Surendranagar.
Why were these areas not fully covered earlier?
The ESI scheme was introduced in Gujarat in phases, with coverage initially focused on notified areas, industrial clusters and major urban centres. As a result, several parts of the state remained either outside the scheme or only partially covered.
The availability of medical infrastructure was also a key factor in expanding coverage. ESI services require facilities such as dispensaries, hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure to provide medical treatment to insured workers.
The latest expansion is part of the broader framework of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which aims to widen social-security coverage.
With the October 1 notification, the remaining uncovered and partially covered areas of Gujarat will come under the ESI framework, subject to applicable eligibility conditions for establishments and employees.