EPFO 3.0 to Bring New Portal, Core Banking System

EPFO readies next phase of digital overhaul

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is preparing a comprehensive technology upgrade branded EPFO 3.0, signalling a shift from incremental fixes to a long-term digital reset. The move is intended to make provident fund services faster, simpler and accessible to a wider base of workers across India.

The planned overhaul comes even as EPFO advances ongoing reforms under EPFO 2.0. Officials say the next phase will address structural limitations in the current system and prepare the organisation for a significant expansion in coverage.

Centralised platform at the core

At the heart of EPFO 3.0 is a new portal and backend architecture built around a core banking-style system. The proposed model will place all EPFO offices on a single, centralised platform, allowing members to access services and resolve issues from any location, regardless of where their account is registered.

The design is aimed at supporting growth over the next decade, particularly as Labour Codes are expected to bring more workers under formal social security coverage.

Preparing for a larger and diverse membership

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EPFO is also aligning its systems to cater to workers beyond the organised sector. With policy changes likely to widen its mandate, the organisation may be tasked with managing a separate fund for unorganised workers, alongside other social security frameworks.

Officials involved in the planning process note that EPFO 3.0 is being structured to handle higher transaction volumes, more complex member profiles and a broader range of services than the current platform allows.

Regional language access through AI tools

To improve communication with members, EPFO plans to integrate AI-based translation tools that can deliver information in regional and vernacular languages. One such platform under consideration is Bhashini, developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The initiative is expected to help members who are not comfortable using English or Hindi to better understand balances, rules and claim processes.

Vendor selection and ongoing reforms

EPFO is in the process of finalising a tender to appoint an agency to implement and maintain the new IT system. Financial vetting is underway, following an earlier shortlisting of firms including Wipro, Infosys and TCS.

Meanwhile, EPFO 2.0 reforms are nearing completion, with several modules already live. Remaining components covering pensions, claims and annual accounts are expected to be rolled out shortly, alongside work on a UPI-linked withdrawal facility through the BHIM app.