ESIC insured person (IP) number

In practice

At onboarding, HR asks every ESI-eligible joiner whether they already hold an insured person number from a previous job. If they do, the employee is registered against it on the ESIC portal; if not, a fresh registration generates one and the e-pehchan card details are shared with the employee.

The number becomes practical the first time someone falls ill or has an accident. The employee or family needs it at the ESI dispensary or hospital, and HR may be asked for it when filing an accident report, so it should sit on the employee record, not only in the portal.

The usual mistake is creating a second IP number for a returning or transferring employee because nobody asked. Duplicate numbers split contribution history, which can affect eligibility for cash benefits that depend on contributions paid. Correcting it later means a request to ESIC, so a one-line question on the joining form saves weeks of follow-up.