SPREE Scheme: 1.17 lakh firms, 1.03 cr employees enrolled with ESIC

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) recorded new employers' registration of 1.17 lakh, along with 1.03 crore employees under the Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees (SPREE) rolled out last year.

The SPREE is operational for the period from July 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026.

The scheme offers a one-time opportunity for employers and employees who may have been inadvertently left out from ESI coverage to register without concern for retrospective coverage or punitive action.

"Till January 11, 2026, the number of new employer and new employees registered under the scheme was 1.17 lakh and 1.03 crore, respectively," a source told PTI.

The scheme offers one-time opportunity to those employers and employees who are left out of the ESI coverage, so that they can register or enrol with ESIC without any tension of retrospective coverage or punitive action.

Earlier in December, in view of representation received from employers, employers' association and state governments, the scheme had been extended for a period of one month from January 1, 2026 to January 3, 2026.

The SPREE scheme was approved during the 196th Meeting of ESI Corporation in Shimla, chaired by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, and is aimed at enhancing social security coverage under the ESI Act.

The scheme offers unregistered employers and employees the opportunity to become a part of the ESI framework without undergoing inspections or facing demands for any previous dues or records.

With this extension, employers got additional time to register their businesses and employees digitally through the ESIC, Shram Suvidha, and MCA portals, with registration effective from the date specified by the employer.

Establishments that were previously not registered will also benefit from the provision of "no demand of past contribution", no inspections, and no requirement of prior records, if they register within the new timeframe.

If the employer fails to avail of the benefits of the SPREE Scheme and do not register their establishment under the ESI Scheme, then such establishment will be liable to pay past contributions along with damages & interest besides legal actions and penalties after January 31, 2026.

The extension of SPREE 2025 until January 31, 2026, demonstrates ESIC's commitment to promote voluntary compliance and expanding the social security coverage in India, which aligns with the objectives & goals of recently implemented Code on Social Security. PTI KKS TRB