In a major step towards expanding social security coverage, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) launched SPREE 2025 (Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees) on Wednesday. The initiative was approved during ESIC’s 196th Corporation Meeting held in Shimla under the chairmanship of Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
SPREE 2025 will be implemented from July 1 to December 31, 2025, and offers a one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and workers—including contractual and temporary staff—to enrol under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme without facing penalties or retrospective inspections.
Under the scheme, employers can register digitally through the ESIC portal, Shram Suvidha portal, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal, with registration deemed valid from the date declared by the employer. Importantly, no contribution or benefits will be claimed for the period prior to registration, and no inspections or demands will be made for past dues, encouraging voluntary compliance.
By removing legal and procedural hurdles, SPREE 2025 aims to bring more employers and employees, especially those in informal and contract sectors, under the ESI umbrella. The scheme is part of ESIC’s broader effort to build a more inclusive and welfare-oriented labour ecosystem in India, ensuring access to essential health and social security benefits for a wider section of the workforce.
