I kept running into the exact same problem at our registration drives. India has an informal workforce of over 400 million people, and the welfare schemes they are entitled to mostly go unclaimed. The most frustrating part is that it is not because these workers do not qualify. It is because the information never reaches them in a format they can actually use.
Think about how the system is currently set up. Government portals ask you to read complex text. Apps ask you to use up data to download them. Helplines ask you to navigate confusing menus in formal Hindi. For a domestic worker or a daily wage laborer who cannot read or write, the door is shut before they even try to open it.
But there is one platform almost every worker I have met is completely fluent in. WhatsApp.
It is how they message their employers, receive their wages, and most importantly, send voice notes to their families back home. So, instead of asking people to overcome a massive hurdle and learn something entirely new, I decided to build a solution right where they already are.
The Workers of India WhatsApp assistant takes voice notes and text in English, Hindi, and Marathi. It walks workers through e-Shram registration, explains exactly which schemes they qualify for, and can even generate simple work agreements. All of this happens inside a chat they already know how to use perfectly.
The voice feature is what matters most. It does not require literacy, which is exactly the barrier that keeps millions of people locked out of the system.
Today, I am incredibly honored to share that I have received the CREST Gold Award for my work building this voice enabled, multilingual assistant.
Receiving this award is a huge personal milestone, but more importantly, it validates the core idea behind Workers of India. It proves that technology only works when it is designed around the everyday reality of the people who need it the most.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this project. I am excited to keep building and get this tool into the hands of as many workers as possible.