The pandemic has been a mixed bag for gig economy in India—while the country has emerged as a frontrunner for flexi-staffing, upskilling and gender parity remain challenges
Illustration: Sameer Pawar
Over the years, only about 15 percent of the non-farm employment in India has been considered as ‘formal’. The remaining workers—in both unorganised and organised sectors— are those without regular jobs or employer-provided social security benefits. These include everyone from a carpenter offering on-demand services in the locality, to a freelance web designer taking up short-term work with a few different firms.
About a decade ago, technological advancements and evolving business models led to the emergence of aggregators and digital platforms. A driver working with a small cab service could now connect with more customers via apps such as Ola. Ride-hailing on the streets was replaced with clicks on smartphones, and haggling over prices and small-change with discounts and digital payments. The drivers made their own hours, and going off-duty simply meant switching off the work phone.
The gig economy could service up to 90 million jobs, transact over $250 billion in work volume, And contribute an incremental 1.25 percent to the GDP
(This story appears in the 21 May, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)