New Delhi:
India’s long-awaited labour law reform has officially taken effect. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 has come into force across the country from 21 November 2025, replacing decades-old labour regulations with a modern, unified legal framework for employment relations.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment confirmed the enforcement of all provisions of the Code through a Gazette notification issued on 21 November 2025, which was reaffirmed by subsequent notifications published in February 2026.
Industrial Relations Code, 2020…
The Industrial Relations Code brings together three key labour laws under one umbrella:
The Trade Unions Act, 1926
The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
By consolidating these laws, the government aims to simplify compliance, improve industrial harmony, reduce litigation, and promote ease of doing business while protecting worker rights.
For employers, this means a single, clear framework governing union recognition, service conditions, strikes, layoffs, retrenchment, and dispute resolution. For employees, it provides improved legal clarity and faster access to grievance redressal.
The reform applies to factories, offices, IT companies, service industries, manufacturing units, logistics firms and virtually all organised employment across India.
