PFRDA organized the Annual Felicitation Programme for Atal Pension Yojana (APY) in New Delhi, recognizing outstanding performance in pension sector outreach. APY recorded 1.35 crore new subscribers during FY 2025-26, demonstrating significant growth in India's social security coverage. The program celebrates achievements of banks, state governments, and intermediaries in expanding pension access to unorganized sector workers. APY provides guaranteed minimum pension of Rs 1,000-5,000 per month after age 60, with government co-contribution support for eligible beneficiaries during initial years.

The APY Annual Felicitation Programme represents PFRDA's strategy to institutionalize recognition-based governance in India's pension ecosystem. With 1.35 crore new enrollments in FY 2025-26, APY has become the world's largest pension scheme for unorganized workers, addressing India's demographic dividend challenge where 93% of workforce lacks formal social security. The programme's success mechanism relies on bank-led distribution, state government partnerships, and digital onboarding through Common Service Centers. APY's guaranteed pension structure (Rs 1,000-5,000 monthly) with government co-contribution creates fiscal sustainability while ensuring old-age income security. The scheme's growth trajectory from 42 lakh subscribers in 2019 to over 5.5 crore demonstrates successful financial inclusion. However, challenges include premium discontinuation rates, limited awareness in rural areas, and coordination between central-state agencies. The felicitation model incentivizes performance-based expansion, critical for achieving universal pension coverage as India transitions to an aging society by 2030.