At 17, while most students are focused on examinations, college applications and future careers, Mumbai-based Ayaan Wadhwa is working to address a problem that affects millions of India’s informal workers: the gap between government welfare schemes and the people who need them. Through his initiative, Workers of India, he has helped more than 750 unorganised-sector workers register for government welfare schemes, making information and assistance more accessible to those often left out of formal systems.
A Question That Sparked a Mission
Ayaan’s journey began with an incident at his home. A domestic worker employed by his family approached his mother, Pinky Panjwani, for a loan when her own mother fell ill. She had no savings or insurance to fall back on and needed financial assistance during the medical emergency.
The incident left Ayaan thinking about the financial insecurity faced by workers who provide essential services every day but often lack basic social protection. He wondered what would happen to people in similar circumstances if their employers were unable to help.
Instead of treating it as an isolated incident, he began researching government provisions available to workers in the unorganised sector. During this process, he discovered the e-Shram portal, a government initiative designed to create a national database of unorganised workers and help connect them with social security schemes.
He also realised that the existence of welfare schemes did not necessarily mean workers knew about them or could navigate the registration process independently.
Turning Research Into Action
Ayaan founded Workers of India in 2024, when he was just 15. A student at Oberoi International School in Mumbai, he began preparing simplified booklets explaining central and Maharashtra government welfare schemes available to informal workers.
Recognising that complicated information and language barriers could prevent workers from understanding their entitlements, he worked on making the material accessible in Hindi and Marathi, alongside English.
He then began approaching residential societies to organise awareness workshops for domestic workers. The first session, held in his own housing complex, attracted around 80 to 90 participants. Ayaan brought his laptop and helped workers complete their registrations on the e-Shram portal, guiding them through the process individually.
The initial response encouraged him to continue. According to reports published in October 2026, Workers of India had conducted five workshops and helped more than 750 unorganised-sector workers register for government welfare schemes.
Making Information More Accessible Through Technology
Ayaan’s work is not limited to registration drives. He has also been exploring how technology can make welfare information easier to access.
One of the tools developed through Workers of India is an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to assist informal workers in English, Hindi and Marathi. It aims to simplify information about e-Shram, explain welfare provisions and help users navigate employment-related documentation.
Another initiative, called Naukri Nama, focuses on basic employment agreements. Domestic work arrangements are frequently based on verbal understandings, leaving workers and employers without a clear written record of salary, working hours, responsibilities and weekly holidays. The tool aims to make these agreements easier to create and understand.
By combining awareness, registration assistance and digital tools, Ayaan hopes to address some of the practical barriers that prevent workers from accessing information and documenting their employment arrangements.
Recognition and the Road Ahead
In July 2026, Workers of India was selected for the International Baccalaureate Global Youth Action Fund, which supports youth-led initiatives addressing social and environmental challenges. The recognition brought mentorship, collaboration opportunities and financial support for the project’s development.
The initiative has also begun looking beyond Mumbai. In August 2026, Ayaan conducted an awareness session for more than 200 semi-skilled and informal workers at a manufacturing plant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking an expansion beyond Maharashtra. Workers of India
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Domestic workers, construction labourers, factory workers and millions employed in the informal economy contribute significantly to everyday life. Yet, many remain unfamiliar with the welfare provisions and protections available to them. Ayaan Wadhwa’s initiative highlights an important reality: making a scheme available is only the first step; ensuring that people understand it and can navigate the process matters just as much.
His work does not replace the responsibility of institutions to make welfare systems simpler and more accessible. However, it demonstrates how young people can contribute by identifying gaps, researching solutions and taking practical action. At 17, Ayaan is showing that changemaking does not have to wait for adulthood. Sometimes, it begins with noticing an everyday inequality and refusing to look away.
Also Read: The Odisha Social Worker Who Transformed Tribal Lives and Eradicated a Neglected Disease
