Agrasar Pravasi

Strengthening migrant families through access, awareness, and community leadership.

Empowering Migrant Workers and Families

Agrasar Pravasi enables migrant workers and their families to secure rights, entitlements, and social protection. The programme supports access to identification documents, welfare schemes, financial inclusion, and legal awareness - building resilience and confidence within communities that power India’s cities.

Why It Matters

Internal migrants form the backbone of India’s informal economy yet remain excluded from social protection, secure housing, and dignified work. Agrasar Pravasi bridges these gaps by combining grassroots presence with systems -level engagement to make welfare accessible, just, and sustainable.

India’s internal migrant workers—nearly 150 million strong—make up almost 30% of the national workforce and contribute close to one-tenth of the country’s GDP.

Yet these essential workers and their families remain systematically excluded from formal social protection systems, trapped by documentation gaps, non-portable entitlements, and weak delivery mechanisms.

Internal Migrants
Nearly 30% of India’s workforce

GDP Contribution
Significant economic impact

National Workforce

Yet largely excluded from social inclusion schemes.

According to Article 19(1)(e) of the Constitution, every citizen of India has the right “to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.” Additionally, according to Article 21 of the Constitution, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”

However, inter-state migrant workers and their families are denied access to several critical rightful entitlements as citizens in transit and at destination, which subjects them to exploitative practices, violations of their rights, and injustice.

2018 Baseline: Mapping the Reality

Agrasar’s comprehensive needs assessment revealed the stark challenges facing migrant workers in Gurugram, establishing the foundation for targeted interventions.

Unlinked to Schemes
Not connected to any government welfare program

Documentation Errors
Had mistakes in identity documents despite possession

Formal Coverage
Had PF/ESI through employer registration

Sense of Home
Considered Gurugram their permanent home

Systemic Barriers to Access

Documentation Gaps

Missing or incorrect identity documents prevent families from proving eligibility for welfare programs and government schemes.

Non-Portable Entitlements

Benefits tied to geographic locations become inaccessible when workers migrate, leaving families without continuity of support.

Poor Awareness

Limited knowledge about available schemes and rights keeps eligible families from even attempting to access their entitlements.

Weak Delivery Systems

Last-mile gaps in service delivery mean even aware, eligible families struggle to complete registration and receive benefits.

Agrasar’s fieldwork demonstrates these barriers affect both migrant and local underserved families, deepening urban inequity and limiting children’s development through unsafe learning environments.

How We Work

Agrasar works at the last mile, translating existing government schemes and legal protections into accessible, actionable support for migrant workers. Rather than creating parallel systems, Agrasar strengthens workers’ ability to access and navigate public systems independently.