Gig workers
The NGO Janpahal conducted a nationwide survey, documenting the everyday occupational hazards faced by platform workers, especially during extreme weather conditions. Interviewing over 1,000 platform workers across ten metropolitan cities, Janpahal presented its initial findings in the report “Occupational Safety and Health of Platform-Based Gig Workers in India.”More Than 20% Gig Workers Work 70+ Hours Per Week: Report - The Wire
The survey indicates that platform work remains largely outside the reach of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations; workers constantly being exposed to compromising working conditions often falling outside the ambit of what the International Labour Organisation (ILO) constitutes as “a safe and healthy work environment.”
Platform work is predominantly characterised by long-hours and sustained engagement: “More than half of respondents reported working more than 49 hours per week, with nearly one-fourth reporting working over 70 hours per week. These working hours are well above the formal-sector limit of 48 hours per week set out under various labour laws.” Prolonged hours exacerbate the already high occupational safety concerns associated with gig work such as poor road conditions, risks of accidents, and exposure to violence and harassment while working.
Quick commerce companies function on a simple formula — the more orders one delivers, the more one earns. Capitalising on urban India’s psychological fixation of instant gratification, the gig economy has expanded exponentially over the last five years. According to a report by Niti Aayog, India’s steadily growing gig economy is projected to witness a hike in the number of gig workers, reaching an astounding 23.5 million by 2030 as compared to 7.7 million in 2021. Given these realities, the concerns gig workers are raising cannot go ignored.
by Ritvi Jain
04/02/2026
The Karnataka government Tuesday formed a 16-member welfare board to provide social security to gig and platform workers in the state, facilitating app-based aggregators and e-commerce service providers to deposit their share with the newly constituted body.
Karnataka forms gig workers’ welfare board
All aggregators will have to pay a welfare fee in the range of 1-1.5 percent of the transaction, which was downward revised from the earlier proposal of 5 percent made in April last year.
Is the gig economy empowering workers or institutionalising a new form of exploitation?
The immediate trigger was Deepinder Goyal’s post on X (formerly Twitter), where he claimed that despite “a small section of miscreants” trying to disrupt operations, Zomato and Blinkit achieved record-breaking deliveries. He even thanked the police administration, raising eyebrows among worker unions.
In contrast, the Telangana Gig Workers’ Association asserted that the strike was effective and accused companies of using police pressure to weaken it. Workers questioned why the CEO chose to thank the police instead of engaging with worker unions or addressing grievances.
This sharp divergence in narratives exposes a fundamental disconnect between corporate leadership and ground-level realities.
Gig workers across platforms have raised consistent demands:
- No access to toilets or elevators during deliveries
- No social security (PF, pension, job stability)
- Low and unpredictable wages
- Long unpaid waiting hours on apps
- No grievance redressal mechanism
- Arbitrary blocking from platforms leading to income loss
Deepinder Goyal, unlike most industry leaders, chose to respond publicly to the controversy and, in the process, inadvertently revealed key aspects of how the gig economy functions.
12/01/2026
India's booming gig economy faces challenges as a nationwide strike exposed delivery workers' issues: unfair pay, safety risks from 10-minute deliveries, and opaque algorithms. While new labor laws offer social security recognition, fair wages and algorithm oversight are critical. Consumers share responsibility by not prioritizing speed over worker dignity.
https://theprint.in/opinion/labour-codes-harsh-reality-gig-work/2818744/
As per an NCAER-Prosus report, India’s food delivery platform sector generated Rs 1.2 lakh crore in gross output in 2023-24, and direct employment by the sector increased from 1.08 million workers in 2021-22 to 1.37 million workers in 2023-24.
The report also stated that employment in the sector grew at a CAGR of 12.3 per cent between 2021-22 and 2023-24, compared to all-India CAGR of 7.9 per cent.
But what this report does not state is that gig workers earn low wages, and risk their life each time they get your order to you in ten minutes
The real fault lies with the algorithm, which controls the gig work but cannot be held accountable. Platforms describe their delivery partners as “independent contractors”. But is it truly independence when: the app decides which order you see, the app decides your effective hourly earning, when you can be penalised for rejecting or cancelling the order, you can be deactivated with limited options for appeal, and when the ten-minute deliveries pose a risk to your life.
In response to the organised protests, Blinkit blocked the worker IDs of delivery partners in a complete violation of the freedom of association guaranteed under Article 19.
ON APRIL 26, OVER 150 GIG WORKERS WORKING WITH BLINKIT - an online instant delivery app owned by Zomato - went on a strike to protest policy changes by the company. The workers had a list of eleven demands, including higher wages, availability of shaded areas and water, and cotton uniforms, among other things. The company, however, responded by blocking their worker IDs. Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (‘GIPSWU’) - a trade union working to improve the conditions of the gig economy - alleges that the company also sent a representative to intimidate the workers by threatening police action, and demanded that they sign affidavits vowing never to strike again. They complain that this is unconstitutional and exploitative of labour laws.
As India prepares for an intense summer, the National Disaster Management Authority (‘NDMA’) has issued red alerts for heatwaves and released safety guidelines to help citizens stay protected. However, delivery personnel, who travel long distances on bikes and scooters, are expected to work through peak heat hours, often without access to paid breaks, washrooms, rest stops, or any heat-related compensation. To further exacerbate the issue, Blinkit’s new incentive guideline has made it compulsory to work during peak heat hours (between 12 noon to 4 PM). The protest by gig workers in Varanasi was borne out of contempt for the changed incentive structure. The pay-per-order for the workers has also been reduced significantly. The workers demanded an increase in the pay rate and reinstatement of the previous incentive structure.
by Himanshi Aggarwal
10/05/2025