Calling it a golden opportunity, Dr. Meena encouraged employers to enrol left-out employees whose provident fund contributions had not been previously deducted. (File image)
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Monday organised the National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Awards 2025 at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), bringing together industry leaders, policymakers and professionals to discuss evolving labour reforms, inclusive workplaces and employment generation.
Addressing the conference, Dr Nand Ram Meena, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I (RPFC-I), Mumbai (Dadar), outlined the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PMVBRY), a flagship initiative launched on August 15, 2025. The scheme aims to generate over three crore employment opportunities as part of India’s vision of becoming a Viksit Rashtra by 2047.
Under the PMVBRY, newly appointed employees are eligible for incentives of up to Rs 15,000, while employers can receive benefits of up to Rs 3,000 per employee per month for every new hire.
Dr Meena also spoke about the Employees Enrollment Scheme 2025 (EES-2025), a newly launched initiative targeting employees who joined service between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, but were not covered under the Employees’ Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act.
Calling it a “golden opportunity”, he encouraged employers to enrol left-out employees whose provident fund contributions had not been previously deducted. Under the scheme, employers are required to deposit only the employer’s share of the contribution, along with symbolic damages of Rs 10. The scheme is valid for six months, from November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026. EES-2025 is linked with PMVBRY, enabling integrated compliance and employment incentives.
Participants were given detailed guidance on eligibility, coverage, enrolment procedures and compliance requirements under the new framework.
Dr Meena also briefed the attendees on the newly introduced Labour Codes, particularly the Code on Social Security, highlighting its role in improving transparency, efficiency and expanding social protection for India’s workforce.
The conference concluded with the presentation of the DEI Awards 2025, recognising organisations for their commitment towards building inclusive, equitable and diverse workplaces across the country.