The ESIC has prolonged the deadline for its Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees (SPREE 2025) by one month, now running from January 1 to January 31, 2026. Launched by ESIC, the SPREE 2025, initially active from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, has been extended due to feedback from employers, employers’ associations, and state governments. The scheme, approved during the 196th Meeting of ESI Corporation in Shimla under the chairmanship of Union Labour & Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, aims to boost social security coverage under the ESI Act.
With this extension, businesses can digitally register their establishments and employees through ESIC, Shram Suvidha, and MCA portals. The registration will be effective from the specified date by the employer. The SPREE Scheme offers unregistered employers and employees the chance to join the ESI framework without facing inspections or demands for previous dues or records. The extension until January 31, 2026, provides establishments with the benefit of no demands for past contributions, no inspections, and no need for prior records if they register within the new timeframe. Failure to register under the ESI Scheme by the deadline will result in establishments being liable to pay past contributions, damages, interest, and face legal actions and penalties.
The ESIC’s decision to extend SPREE 2025 until January 31, 2026, underscores its commitment to encourage voluntary compliance and broaden social security coverage in India. This move aligns with the objectives of the recently enacted Code on Social Security, as stated in the official announcement. ESIC, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, oversees the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme in India, a social security system providing medical care and cash benefits to eligible workers and their families, managed under the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment.
