Top News

India’s state-run retirement fund manager is moving to your smartphone screen to cut down massive desk queues and long call wait times.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will launch an artificial intelligence-driven WhatsApp chatbot within the month. Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya announced the move on Tuesday. The automated service will handle member queries, balance checks, and claim tracking round the clock.

The decision follows a heavy spike in public complaints. The Ministry of Labour and Employment topped government grievance lists recently, drawing over 15 percent of all federal complaints. Most cases involved delayed provident fund withdrawals, pension disputes, and wage updates.

How the WhatsApp Service Works

Subscribers can initiate a conversation by typing a simple 'Hello' to the official EPFO WhatsApp number. The system will feature a verified green tick mark to ensure data security and protect users against phishing attempts. Once a user sends a message, the platform will verify their phone number against the database linked to their Universal Account Number (UAN). After a successful security match, the chatbot will provide simple interactive menu options.

The entire platform will operate in local and vernacular languages to ensure maximum accessibility across rural and urban centers.

Pending Compliance

The digital assistant will prioritize clearing backlogs for workers facing immediate compliance friction. Initial targets include subscribers under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana who have missing credentials. Consumers will be guided to finish pending Aadhaar authentication and link their accounts for direct benefit transfers. Users can also view their last five transactions without opening the main desktop portal.

The ministry has also confirmed that it has successfully tested UPI payment gateways, which will soon let users transfer withdrawn PF amounts directly to their verified bank accounts.

Record Low Backlogs

The digital push coincides with a major drop in long-standing legal disputes for the fund manager. Focused disposal drives under the 'Nidhi Aapke Nikat' program helped settle thousands of old cases across consumer courts. Official ministry data shows total pending litigation fell to 27,639 cases by April 2026, marking an all-time low for the body. Cases unresolved for over a decade dropped by nearly 45 percent.

Shram Suvidha and Samadhan portals were also updated earlier this month. New versions will work alongside the chatbot to handle employer compliance and employee disputes through automated digital workflows.