All 4 Labour Codes Set for April Rollout: India’s Biggest Labour Law Reform Explained

India is set to implement its most significant labour law reform in decades, with the government finalising rules under all four labour codes and planning their rollout from April 2026. The new framework consolidates over 40 existing labour laws into four comprehensive codes—the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code—aimed at simplifying compliance and modernising labour regulation. Once notified, the rules will introduce major changes including a uniform definition of wages, expansion of social security coverage to gig and unorganised workers, mandatory health check-ups for certain categories of employees, and streamlined compliance through digital systems. The reform is expected to improve ease of doing business while enhancing worker protection, though it may also increase compliance costs and require restructuring of salary and HR policies by employers. Overall, the rollout marks a structural shift toward a more transparent, unified, and accountable labour law regime in India.