Employment State Insurance (ESI), often called Employees’ State Insurance in India, is a government social security scheme that provides medical care, sickness benefits, maternity support, disability coverage, and dependent benefits to eligible workers. It generally applies to employees working in covered establishments (such as factories, shops, or companies with the required employee threshold) whose wages fall below the government’s prescribed salary limit; both employer and employee contribute to the scheme. Eligibility and wage ceilings can change, so employees should check current ESIC rules.