Around 81 per cent of employers in India said they were aware of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), with large organisations accounting for 83 per cent of this awareness, a report said on Tuesday.
The staffing conglomerate TeamLease Services stated in the report that only 5.4 per cent of start-ups and micro businesses, which stand to benefit most from hiring incentives of up to Rs 3,000 per employee per month, were aware of the scheme.
Through PM-VBRY, the government provides a direct incentive of up to Rs 15,000, paid in two parts, to employees entering the formal workforce and newly registered with EPFO.
The scheme also offers an incentive of up to Rs 3,000 per month for each new, additional employee hired and sustained for at least six months.
Although 56 per cent of surveyed employers planned to expand their workforce in the second half of FY26, only 60.4 per cent of such employers were aware of the scheme.
Higher awareness was noted in sectors such as FMCG at 72.2 per cent and EV infrastructure at 64.3 per cent, and lower familiarity in service-oriented sectors such as educational services at 33.3 per cent, reinforcing the need for targeted outreach.
"Around 19 per cent of employers remain entirely unaware, creating uneven engagement across sectors. Addressing these gaps can unlock disproportionate value, enabling organisations to strengthen capability, improve retention, and shape a resilient, future-ready workforce that translates policy intent into sustainable economic and social outcomes," said Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services.
The survey of over 1,200 employers across 23 industries found that awareness of the scheme alone did not translate into readiness or participation, as many employers familiar with the scheme, alignment with hiring plans remains uneven.
Among employers who are aware, participation is driven more by long-term workforce priorities than immediate financial incentives, the report said.
Support for skill development was the strongest driver for enrolling in the scheme, cited by 51.8 per cent of employers, well ahead of direct hiring incentives at 18.6 per cent.
"This long-term perspective also extends to workforce stability, with 39.7 per cent of employers valuing job retention incentives to maintain consistent performance," the report noted.
Around 29.9 per cent of respondents prioritised workforce normalisation, particularly organisations seeking stronger compliance, structured employment practices, and improved access to formal credit channels, it noted.
Compensation and benefits teams demonstrated the highest awareness at 71.7 per cent, followed by talent acquisition professionals at 68.4 per cent, while HR generalists reported lower awareness at 44.4 per cent.
(With inputs from IANS)
