A worker from Odisha, Bihar or West Bengal employed on a Chennai building site can register with two systems at once: the Union government’s free e-Shram portal, and Tamil Nadu’s construction workers welfare board, which has a separate registration link for inter-state migrant construction workers. Both are free to join and both are needed for accident cover and welfare payments to reach a family when something goes wrong.
The state’s own count suggests most migrants are not yet on the books. By 31 July 2025 Tamil Nadu had registered about 12.17 lakh inter-state migrant workers, 1.29 lakh of them in Chennai district, The Mooknayak reported from government data. Experts quoted in the same report thought this was under a quarter of the real number. Here is how registration works for workers and for the employers who hire them.
Where the migrant workforce is
The same government data shows how the numbers spread around the city. Kancheepuram district, which covers the Sriperumbudur and Oragadam factory belt, had the most registered migrants at 1.61 lakh, ahead of Coimbatore (1.32 lakh), Chennai (1.29 lakh) and Tiruppur (1.22 lakh). Odisha (2.89 lakh) and Bihar (2.51 lakh) were the biggest home states. Officials said worksite drives had recently added about three lakh names, but that small shops and independent units were hard to reach.
e-Shram: the national card
e-Shram, launched on 26 August 2021, is a database of unorganised workers. According to a PIB note marking its fifth anniversary, it had 31.89 crore registrations as of 18 August 2026. About 93 lakh workers from Tamil Nadu had enrolled by August 2025, DT Next reported.
- What you need: an Aadhaar number and a mobile number, preferably linked to Aadhaar.
- Where: self-registration at register.eshram.gov.in, or at any Common Service Centre. Registration is free; nobody should charge you for it.
- What you get: a 12-digit Universal Account Number and a single window that links to 15 central schemes, including PM-SYM (an assured ₹3,000 monthly pension after 60 for those who enrol and contribute), PMSBY accident cover (₹2 lakh for death or permanent disability) and PMJJBY life cover.
- Language: the portal works in 22 languages, so workers can register in Odia, Bengali or Hindi.
Tamil Nadu’s welfare boards
The state runs unorganised workers’ welfare boards through the Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department. The TNUWWB portal has a dedicated link for inter-state migrant construction workers, alongside new registration for local workers. Registered members can claim accident death and disability compensation, help with transporting a body after a worksite death, funeral expenses, pensions and education help for children. The portal does not list amounts, so ask the Labour Welfare office before relying on a figure.
The portal does not spell out eligibility or documents on its front page, so check the registration form itself, or ask at the district Labour Welfare office, before you apply. Keep a copy of your registration number and renewal dates somewhere your family can find them, since they will need it to make a claim.
What employers and contractors must do
The Labour Department’s registration procedure sets out the employer’s side:
- A principal employer with five or more inter-state migrant workers must register the establishment, and contractors with five or more such workers on any day in the past year need a licence.
- Create an account on labour.tn.gov.in, verify mobile and email, and upload PAN or another ID plus Aadhaar.
- Enter establishment, contractor and worker details, with each worker’s home address, upload GST proof and contractor agreements, and pay the prescribed fee.
- Track the application. The Deputy Commissioner of Labour is meant to verify and issue registration within 7 days. A contractor’s licence must be decided within 60 days.
- Renew licences at least 30 days before expiry; late renewal costs 25% extra.
Rights under the new labour codes
The four labour codes took effect on 21 November 2025. In a Lok Sabha answer on 15 December 2025, the Labour Ministry said employers must pay inter-state migrant workers an annual lump sum covering the fare to their home town and back, and that the occupational safety code provides a toll-free helpline for workers, including migrants. State minimum wage notifications cover the job, not the worker’s home state, so a migrant doing scheduled work is owed the same notified rate.
If wages are withheld or a contractor takes your documents, complain to the state Labour Department through labour.tn.gov.in or its district office, or contact the District Legal Services Authority for free legal help. A lawyer can advise on individual cases.
Quick answers
Is e-Shram registration free?
Yes. The Labour Ministry says it costs nothing, whether you register yourself or at a Common Service Centre.
Can a migrant construction worker join the Tamil Nadu welfare board?
Yes. The TNUWWB portal has a separate registration link for inter-state migrant construction workers.
Does my employer have to register me?
If the establishment or contractor employs five or more inter-state migrant workers, it must register or get a licence with the state Labour Department and list workers’ details.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- ISM Act registration procedure (Labour Department, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Tamil Nadu Unorganised Workers Welfare Board portal (Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department)
- Five years of e-Shram (Press Information Bureau, August 2026)
- Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 205 on Labour Codes, 15 December 2025 (Ministry of Labour and Employment)
- Amid SIR row, TN registers over 12 lakh migrant workers (The Mooknayak, 6 August 2025)
- Around 93 lakh unorganised workers from TN have enrolled on portal (DT Next, 29 August 2025)
