The Assam Government has notified the Assam Shops and Establishment (Amendment) Act, 2026, bringing significant changes to labour laws, including new compliance rules for small businesses and an expanded definition of ’employee’.
The Assam cabinet has approved the draft Assam Industrial Relation Rules, 2026, aligning state labour governance with the Union’s Industrial Relations Code, 2020. Public feedback is invited until September 23, 2026.
The Assam Cabinet, led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, has approved major reforms across administrative, education, and labour sectors, aiming to boost employment, enhance infrastructure, and improve service delivery.
The Assam Government has enacted the Assam Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2025, raising the applicability threshold for businesses and allowing women to work night shifts with mandatory safety measures. The Act also revises working hour norms.
The Assam Cabinet has approved the Assam Industrial Relations Rules, 2026, and the Assam Social Security Rules, 2026, to modernise the state’s labour framework and align with central codes.
The Assam Shops And Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed on July 28, mandates employees receive double wages for overtime, calculated on a daily or weekly basis, whichever is more favourable.