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Meet Ayaan Wadhwa, 17: Mumbai teen helps 750 domestic workers get govt benefits

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The initiative gained traction after research into the central government's e-Shram portal revealed that many domestic helpers were unaware of state and central provisions. Supported by his mother, Pinky Panjwani, the teenager designed Hindi and Marathi guides to explain available benefits and navigated initial skepticism from housing society committees. During these sessions, he uses his laptop to register attendees directly and follow up on complex applications. Domestic workers like Manisha Dhekde have successfully acquired e-Shram cards and enrolled in post office savings schemes through these efforts.

Key points

  • Informal laborers often miss out on government safety nets simply due to a lack of awaren…: Informal laborers often miss out on government safety nets simply due to a lack of awareness and digital access.
  • Direct on-site registration effectively bridges the bureaucratic divide for unorganised-s…: Direct on-site registration effectively bridges the bureaucratic divide for unorganised-sector workers across residential societies.
  • Multilingual resources help empower domestic staff to independently secure social securit…: Multilingual resources help empower domestic staff to independently secure social security cards and post office savings accounts.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Every day, thousands of domestic workers enter apartment buildings across Mumbai to cook, clean and take care of household chores. Yet, while the families they work for may have health insurance, savings and other financial safeguards, many of these workers have little or no access to such security. For 17-year-old Ayaan Wadhwa, the disparity became difficult to ignore after an incident involving a woman who worked at his home. What followed was an initiative that has now helped more than 750 unorganised-sector workers register for government welfare schemes.

The idea did not begin with a large campaign or an ambitious social project. It started with a question that stayed with him.

A request for financial help that made him think

The turning point came when a woman working in the Wadhwa household needed money because her mother was unwell. With no savings or insurance to fall back on, she approached Ayaan's mother, Pinky Panjwani, for a loan.

While such situations are not uncommon in many households, the incident prompted Ayaan to think about what would happen to workers who had…

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