India, Nov. 24 -- India's new labour codes, consolidating 29 complex central laws into four streamlined codes, represent a landmark reform in labour laws that govern the largest working population in the world.

These codes came into effect on 21 November 2025:

India's new labour codes aim to modernise the legal framework, extend social security to a wider workforce, and ensure universal wage protection.

Before the new Code on Wages, 2019, minimum wages were highly fragmented and varied significantly across states and union territories. These wages were fixed by the respective state or central government based on specific 'scheduled employments' (industries/jobs listed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948).

The minimum wage for a non-agri...