Women accounted for less than a third of the first-time employees enrolled under the Centre’s flagship employment generation scheme, with their share at 28.56 per cent, according to data presented by the labour ministry in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Of the 9.99 million first-time employees enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), 2.85 million were women, compared with 7.14 million men, according to state-wise data provided in a written reply by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje.
Men accounted for 71.41 per cent of all first-time employee registrations. The gender gap was particularly wide in several large states.
In Maharashtra, which recorded the highest number of total registrations at 1.98 million, 544,840 were women compared with 1.44 million men. Karnataka recorded 389,465 women against 758,364 men, while Tamil Nadu had 426,407 women compared with 629,637 men.
The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet on July 1, 2025, as the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme and came into effect on August 1, 2025. It has a two-year registration period ending July 31, 2027, and a budgetary outlay of ₹99,446 crore for 2025-26 to 2031-32.
PM-VBRY aims to incentivise the creation of more than 35 million jobs over two years, including 19.2 million first-time employees under Part A. It also provides incentives to employers for the creation of around 25.9 million additional jobs under Part B.
Under Part A, first-time employees joining eligible establishments receive an incentive equivalent to one month’s Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) wage, subject to a maximum of ₹15,000.
The benefit is paid in two instalments, with the first, of up to ₹7,500, payable after six months of continuous employment.
The second instalment becomes payable after 12 months of employment and completion of a prescribed financial literacy programme.
The scheme is part of the government’s broader efforts to increase formal employment and expand social security coverage by bringing more workers into establishments covered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Up to June 2026, the ministry had a disbursement of ₹745 crore to 1.318 million first-time employees under Part A. Another ₹2,069 crore disbursement to 67,369 beneficiary establishments was under Part B.
The ministry said 550,972 establishments had registered under Part B, while total first-time employee enrolments stood at 9.99 million.
