Generally speaking, employee health insurance is not mandatory in India. However, depending on the size of the organization and its labour laws, the employer may be required to provide health insurance or other benefits to employees.
For instance, the Employees' State Insurance Act of 1948 applies to any organization employing 20 or more people, with employees earning less than Rs. 15,000/month, to provide health insurance and other benefits. Similarly, the Shops & Establishment Act of each state may also require particular provisions for employee health insurance depending on the working conditions, organization size, and employee benefits.
Employers do not have to provide health insurance, but it is often included in job contracts as a benefit for employees. There are also government-funded health insurance schemes, such as the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, that provide schemes to certain groups such as farmers, BPL families, and factory workers. Additionally, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme provides free universal health coverage to all citizens of India.
In summary, employee health insurance is not mandatory in India, but employers may include it in job contracts as a benefit, and there are government-funded health insurance schemes available. To find out more, you can check out websites like https://www.labourlawadvisor.in/ that offer more detailed information about labour laws and employee health insurance in India.