Even before the Code formally takes effect, nearly 60% of companies have already budgeted higher spending on childcare and daycare facilities, double the levels seen three years ago, according to a survey shared exclusively with The Times of India.
Childcare has now emerged among the top HR support practices for working parents, ahead of additional paid leave and flexible work arrangements, the survey by ProEves, a leading aggregator and booking platform for daycares and preschools, said. The study covered 100 companies across IT, BFSI, FMCG, manufacturing and services sectors.
Under the Social Security Code, employers will be mandated to provide crèche facilities in line with Central government guidelines, either near the employee’s residence or workplace, within a 500-metre radius. The provision is gender-neutral and applicable to all employees. HR experts said the move signals a shift beyond regulatory compliance, positioning employer-supported childcare as a key lever for talent retention, workforce diversity and productivity.
Ketika Kapoor, CEO of ProEves, said childcare benefits in India have expanded significantly in recent years, with budgets doubling in 2025 compared with 2022. “The Code on Social Security, notified in late November 2025, reflects a genuine effort by the government to remove childcare as a barrier to parents’ and women’s participation in the workforce, and further strengthens the crèche provision under the Revised Maternity Benefit Act, 2017,” she said. In 2022, companies reported a median monthly daycare spend of ₹5,000–9,999 per child, which has since doubled.
Govindraj MK, CHRO at Myntra, said the company has long invested in childcare support. “We offer free in-house crèche facilities at our Bengaluru and Gurugram offices, along with childcare reimbursement for employees opting for external day-care,” he said, adding that creating a supportive work environment remains central to Myntra’s people philosophy.
Neha Nambiar, HR head at IIFL Capital, said the company has made its childcare policy gender-agnostic to reflect shared caregiving responsibilities. “Our focus has been on providing greater flexibility and accessibility to parents. Between 2023 and 2025, our childcare budgets have grown by nearly 1.5 times,” she noted.
With inputs from TOI