The news that the Labour Ministry is drafting a National Employment Policy is both welcome and long overdue. We stand at a precipice where the very nature of work is being redefined by forces of technology, globalization, and societal shifts. A policy conceived for the industrial age will not serve the needs of a digital-first, AI-augmented future. It requires a fundamental rethinking of what it means to be employed.
The Shifting Sands of Employment
For years, I have watched and written about the tectonic shifts in the world of work. The pandemic was not a cause but an accelerator, making remote and hybrid models a permanent fixture. As I noted in my blog, “From Home or from Office : Just Work,” this isn't a temporary trend but a new reality. The challenge for policymakers is to create a framework that embraces this flexibility rather than resisting it.
A Vision I've Long Championed
The core idea I want to convey is this—take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. During the early days of the pandemic, I saw the crisis not just as a disruption but as an opportunity. In a piece titled, “Opportunity in Adversity ?,” I argued that the forced shift to remote work could be the catalyst for creating millions of self-employed individuals, reducing urban congestion, and saving national resources.
I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, even proposing a solution at the time. As far back as 2017, I urged policymakers to see the global trends of protectionism and de-globalization not as threats, but as a chance for India to become the “BackFactory of the World ?”. The idea was simple: if talent cannot physically go to where the work is, then work must digitally come to where the talent is. We have the demographic dividend and the digital infrastructure to become the world's remote work hub.
Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas. They clearly hold value in the current context as we formulate a new national policy.
Don't Forget the AI in the Room
Any new employment policy that doesn't account for Artificial Intelligence is doomed to obsolescence. In 2016, I wrote about the coming wave of automation in “Revenge of AI,” predicting how it would dismantle traditional job roles. Today, AI isn't a distant fantasy; it's a tool being integrated into every industry. Our policy must therefore focus on reskilling, lifelong learning, and fostering human-AI collaboration, rather than trying to protect jobs that will inevitably be transformed.
It is imperative that this National Employment Policy is not just a document of regulations, but a visionary roadmap. It must provide social security for the gig worker, incentivize micro-entrepreneurship, and build a resilient workforce that can thrive amidst constant change. Let us not draft a policy for the world that was, but for the world that is and is yet to come.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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