Navigating the Gigification of Work

Recent data from the Economic Survey 2026 and various reports paint a picture of a sector shifting from a flexible “side hustle” into a demanding, rigid full-time profession. The business data suggest that platform businesses are growing at an unprecedented pace in India, whereas recent studies also indicate that there is rising precarity and discontent among the labour force engaged in this sector.

The Economic Survey-2026 India notes that while gig work has expanded rapidly alongside the growth of digital platforms, smartphones and digital payments, earnings remain uneven and access to credit and social security continues to lag for a large section of workers.

A NITI Aayog brief by NITI Aayog estimates that in 2020–21 about 7.7 million (77 lakh) workers were engaged in the gig economy, expanding to an expected 23.5 million (2.35 crore) by 2029–30 ().

Who are gig workers?

Definition: Gig workers perform work or participate in arrangements outside the traditional employer–employee relationship.
Types: Platform-based workers find tasks through apps and digital platforms; non-platform gig workers include casual wage workers and own-account workers in conventional sectors who work part-time or full-time.
Payment and status: The ILO characterises gig workers as self-employed or independent contractors who obtain clients and projects through online platforms and are typically paid per task or project rather than receiving a regular wage.

India’s gig workforce grew about 55% from 7.7 million in FY21 to 12 million in FY25, according to the Economic Survey 2025–26.
Gig workers now represent over 2% of the total workforce, and their growth outpaces overall employment. Non-agricultural gig work is projected to constitute 6.7% of the workforce by 2029–30 and contribute ₹35 lakh crore to GDP.
About 40% of gig workers report earnings below ₹15,000 per month.
The Code on Social Security (2020) is the first piece of legislation in India on gig work. The code mentions and defines gig workers as individuals earning beyond the traditional employer-employee relationship.

RAISE Framework

As Central and State governments draw up rules and regulations under CoSS 2020, they could adopt the five-pronged RAISE approach to ensure realisation of full access to social security for all gig and platform workers:

RAISE stands for Recognise, Allow, Incorporate, Support, Ensure.

Recognise the varied nature of platform work to design equitable schemes.

Allow augmentation of social security through innovative financing mechanisms.

Incorporate, while designing schemes, the specific interests of platforms, factoring in the impact on job creation, platform businesses and workers.

Support workers to subscribe to government schemes and welfare programmes through widespread awareness campaigns.

Ensure benefits are readily accessible to workers

A series of studies have been done by NITI Aayog (2022), National Council of Applied Economic Research (2023), IT for Change; Centre for Labour Studies, NLSIU (2023) and PAIGAM, University of Pennsylvania (2024) in bringing forward issues affecting gig workers. Fairwork India (2023) has contributed by studying platforms and providing them with annual ratings based on their treatment of workers across parameters like fair wages, contracts, and social security.