What’s Coming Up / India
What’s changing for employers in India.
34 rule changes, deadlines, events and dates for India, checked against official sources and updated every Monday.
Updated Monday, October 19, 2026
Type
34 items
Already in effect or under way
10 itemsChanges that have started and still need action.
- 7Oct ’26Most urban Indian workers commute on two-wheelers, exposed to heat and smogThe first all-India household travel survey found 52.3% of urban workers commute mainly by two-wheeler, 94.9% leave home before 10 a.m., the average urban commute is 27…
- 9Sep ’26AI is reshaping hiring faster than it creates entry-level jobsAbout 85% of Indian organizations say AI is transforming hiring in FY26 (up from 79%), but only 35% report new early-career roles or skills, and campus pay has grown…
- 26Aug ’26Indian employee engagement has fallen sharply, led by managersGallup's 'Rebuilding Indian Workplaces for the Future 2026' (with the Institute of Directors India) reports engagement in India fell from 33% in 2022 to 23% in 2025…
- 22May ’26Karnataka minimum wage overhaul faces legal challengeKarnataka moved to uniform minimum wages set by skill level and three geographic zones, with some rates rising close to 60%, but employer groups question its validity…
- 8May ’26Free annual health check-ups for workers aged 40 and overThe OSH Code requires free annual health exams for prescribed groups; the central rules apply this to employees aged 40 and over in dock work, mines and building or…
- 8May ’26Gratuity after one year for fixed-term staff; final pay within two working daysFixed-term employees now earn gratuity pro rata after one year of service, and the Code on Wages requires final wages to be paid within two working days after an…
- 8May ’26Maternity benefit and crèche rules under the Social Security CodeWomen get up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave (12 weeks from the third child), adoptive and commissioning mothers get 12 weeks regardless of the child's age after a…
- 8May ’26Working hours, overtime caps and night-shift safeguards for womenThe OSH central rules cap work at 48 hours a week, pay overtime at double rate and limit overtime to 144 hours a quarter.
- 21Nov ’25New 'wages' definition raises the base for gratuity and other benefitsUnder the Code on Wages, 'wages' means basic pay, dearness allowance and retaining allowance, and if excluded items such as house rent and conveyance allowances exceed…
- 1Oct ’25Maharashtra and Telangana allow 10-hour workdaysMaharashtra's Shops and Establishments Act now allows 10-hour days (48 hours a week), a 12-hour spread-over and 144 overtime hours a quarter (up from 125), and applies…
November 2026
10 items- 1NovDelhi-NCR smog season: pollution orders can force hybrid workThe Commission for Air Quality Management's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) tightens curbs on construction and vehicles as air quality worsens, and at its higher…
- 7NovNational Cancer Awareness Day (India)India's Health Ministry day promoting cancer screening and early detection.
- 8NovUpdate OSH Code registration for existing central-sphere establishmentsUnder the OSH Code central rules in force since May 8, 2026, establishments already registered under older central labor laws must update their registration details on…
- 13NovDPDP Rules phase 2: consent-manager framework takes effectIndia's Digital Personal Data Protection Rules phase in: consent-manager registration starts November 13, 2026, and the core duties (notices, consent, security…
- 15NovFirst full-month EPF return under the new ₹25,000 wage ceilingThe Cabinet raised the mandatory EPF, EPS and EDLI wage ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month effective September 17, 2026, pulling about 5.1 million more employees…
- 18NovWorld COPD DayGOLD's lung-health day, falling during North India's peak air-pollution season.
- 19NovEPFO board meets; minimum pension review on draft agendaEPFO's Central Board of Trustees is expected to meet November 19, its first meeting of the fiscal year, with the new ₹25,000 wage ceiling and a review of the ₹1,000…
- 21NovOne-year grace for old EPF and ESI rules ends as the labor codes turn oneThe Social Security Code kept the old EPF, EDLI and ESI schemes, rules and regulations alive for one year from November 21, 2025; new EPF, EPS and EDLI Schemes 2026…
- 26NovSHRM India Annual Conference & Expo 2026SHRM's largest India HR conference; winners of the SHRM HR Excellence Awards, including Excellence in Benefits and Wellness and Excellence in Employee Experience &…
- 30NovIndia's Best Companies to Work For 2027 (Great Place To Work India)Great Place To Work India's flagship Top 100 list; its site shows two different registration deadlines, so confirm with the organizer.
December 2026
4 items- 2DecNational Pollution Control Day (India)India's day on pollution prevention and industrial safety.
- 18DecIndia's Best Workplaces in Health & Wellness 2027 (Great Place To Work India)Great Place To Work India's list recognizing employers for employee health and wellness, based on its employee survey and culture assessment.
- 29DecEPFO VISHWAS and AMNESTY settlement windows closeVISHWAS 2026 lets employers settle damages for EPF contribution defaults from before June 14, 2024, and AMNESTY 2026 lets unrecognized in-house PF trusts regularize…
- 31DecIndia's Great Mid-size Workplaces 2027 (Great Place To Work India)A Great Place To Work India list for mid-sized employers, judged on employee survey results and people practices.
February 2027
3 items- 1FebUnion Budget 2027-28The annual federal budget usually brings income-tax changes that shape employees' tax choices for the new year.
- 25FebGreat Place To Work India For All Summit 2027Great Place To Work India's workplace culture summit, which says it draws more than 1,200 CXOs, CHROs and culture leaders.
- 28FebSingle annual return due under the OSH central rulesThe OSH central rules require employers to file an annual return electronically by February 28 (29 in leap years) after each calendar year, part of a reform that cut 31…
March 2027
4 items- 1MarHeat season: get heat-stress plans ready before MarchIndia's hot-weather season runs March through May, when the India Meteorological Department issues district heat-wave warnings and states activate heat action plans.
- 4MarNational Safety Day and National Safety Week (India)India's main workplace-safety campaign, widely observed at factories, warehouses and offices.
- 24MarWorld TB DayWHO day on tuberculosis, a major health issue in India.
- 31MarFinancial year ends: last day for FY2026-27 tax-saving investmentsIndia's fiscal and tax year ends March 31, the cutoff for tax-saving investments for employees under the old tax regime, and many employers collect investment proofs in…
On the horizon
1 itemBigger changes later in 2027 and beyond, to plan for now.
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