On January 27, 2026, Karnataka announced the creation of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Development Board. This new body aims to improve social security and welfare for gig workers, as per the 2025 Act. Labour Minister Santosh Lad will serve as the Board’s ex-officio President. Key officials from the Labour, Information Technology, and Commercial Taxes departments are members. The CEO will act as the Member Secretary. The Board includes four gig worker union representatives from food delivery and app-based transport sectors. It also features four representatives from aggregator platforms like Porter, Zomato, Uber, and Amazon. Unions such as the United Food Delivery Partners Union and the Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers are included. The Board’s constitution follows Karnataka’s plan to roll out welfare schemes through this statutory body. A welfare fee ranging from 1% to 1.5%, capped, will be imposed on platforms. The rate differs by sector and business model. Labour Minister Santosh Lad explained, "The levy was kept low initially to ensure a steady welfare fund for gig workers without placing an immediate financial burden on platforms." Officials said the Board will review fund collections and may raise the fee up to 5% if more resources are needed. This ensures gig workers get proper social security benefits.