WTC Mumbai Seminar on Labour Codes for MSMEs 2026

January 23, 2026

World Trade Centre Mumbai Hosts Seminar on Labour Codes: Empowering MSMEs for a Future-Ready Workforce

"We are at a pivotal moment where labour reforms meet economic ambition. This seminar equips MSMEs with tools to thrive amid digital trade and automation " - Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries.

The World Trade Center Mumbai, in association with the All India Association of Industries (AIAI), hosted a high-impact seminar titled " India’s New Labour Codes: Impact on Industries and employees" here today at World Trade Center Mumbai. The event brought together nearly 200 industry leaders, business executives, and HR professionals to understand the impact of the Labour Codes on businesses and MSMEs.

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Suhas Basakhetre, Managing Director, Prompt Personnel Pvt. Ltd., stated, “enhancing the ease of doing business is the central objective of India’s labour law reforms. He noted that the earlier labour laws, many of which had been in force for decades, have now been comprehensively rationalised by consolidating 29 existing laws into four simplified labour codes.”

Highlighting the intent behind the reforms, Mr. Basakhetre said that the labour codes focus on simplification of laws, ease of compliance for employers, digitisation of processes, creation of a balanced and equitable framework for both employers and employees, and strengthening enforcement mechanisms.

He further added that, “the entire compliance and enforcement ecosystem has now been digitised, significantly reducing regulatory complexity. Over 1,400 compliances have been streamlined to approximately 400, which is a major step towards improving the ease of doing business. The new labour codes aim to provide equal weightage to the interests of employers and employees, fostering a more transparent, efficient, and growth-oriented labour ecosystem.”

In his remark, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries, stated, “The consolidation of 29 existing labour laws into four unified labour codes is a landmark reform aimed at simplifying labour regulations, expanding worker protections, and improving predictability and clarity for employers.

“There would be greater job formalization and increased worker welfare, which would lead to potential job creation and increased consumption. These positives come with certain challenges, including higher wages and labour costs, more formalities, possible job insecurity, strained HR capacity, increased compliance workload, and short-term cost impacts. These reforms mark a decisive step towards building a more unified, resilient, and inclusive labour ecosystem, aligned with India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat 2047,” Dr. Kalantri stated

Ms. Yashashri Kulkarni, General Manager, Labour Law Compliance, Prompt Personnel Pvt. Ltd., highlighted key provisions under the Code on Wages, including the fixation of a National Floor Wage and the need for employers to realign and update their wage structures accordingly.

She further noted that this is the first time Indian labour legislation has formally defined emerging categories such as aggregators, gig workers, platform workers, and fixed-term employment, reflecting the evolving nature of the workforce. Referring to the Code on Social Security, Ms. Kulkarni pointed out that the EPF case deposit requirement has been significantly reduced from 75 per cent to 25 per cent of the estimated amount, while monetary penalties for non-compliance have been enhanced to strengthen enforcement.

She also highlighted important reforms under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, including the introduction of a pan-India single licence regime, liberalisation of leave encashment provisions, and mandatory crèche facilities, all aimed at improving worker welfare while simplifying compliance for employers.

The seminar concluded with an engaging and interactive question-and-answer session. Ms. Priya Pansare, Director Trade and Investment Promotion, World Trade Center, Mumbai, presented the vote of thanks by expressing her gratitude to Mr. Suhas Basakhetre and Ms. Yashashri Kulkarni for the insightful seminar.

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