Gig Economy: The Rise of a New Work Culture
By Sanjeev Oak
Breaking away from India’s traditional employment frameworks, a new era of the gig economy is taking shape. A recent report shows a staggering 92 per cent growth in blue-collar gig jobs across the country, driven largely by the rapid expansion of e-commerce, food delivery and ride-hailing services. The surge reflects not just changing markets, but a profound shift in the mindset and lifestyle of India’s working population.
A new platform for work
According to the report, 2024 alone witnessed this sharp jump in blue-collar gig jobs. Platforms in e-commerce, food delivery and ride-hailing have opened up an on-demand employment model, offering workers flexible, tech-driven opportunities. Cities such as Delhi and Mumbai accounted for nearly 67 per cent of such jobs in 2023–24, spurring growth in delivery systems, vehicle fleets and allied services.
Once criticised for poor pay, the sector is now seeing annual wage growth of 5–6 per cent, suggesting that workers here are adapting faster to global and technology-led economic shifts compared to those in traditional industries.
Government push and the startup wave
The boom in gig employment is not just market-led. Initiatives such as Skill India, Digital India and Startup India have created an enabling ecosystem. Projections indicate that over 2.4 lakh new blue-collar jobs, especially in quick-commerce, will be generated in the coming years.
For young workers, this shift provides alternatives to conventional offline jobs, while also lending social recognition to gig roles. Platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola and Uber have created competitive opportunities across Indian cities, shaping gig work into a symbol of self-reliance and innovation.
The scale of growth
NITI Aayog estimates that India’s gig workforce will cross 1 crore by FY25 and could expand to 2.35 crore by 2030. The sector could contribute up to 1.25 per cent to India’s GDP, with nearly 70 per cent of new jobs by 2030 expected to come from blue-collar gig roles.
Yet, concerns remain. Social security, wage transparency and workplace safety are still unaddressed. Calls for a national gig worker law have intensified, seeking clear rules on pay-outs, work records and algorithmic changes on platforms.
Women and the second-tier cities
Women currently make up around 28 per cent of the gig workforce, but experts argue that their participation must rise, especially in services aimed at women customers. Extending gig opportunities beyond metros into tier-II and tier-III cities through skill training is also seen as essential.
Some companies, such as Urban Company, have adopted minimum wage standards and transparent policies, offering a model others in the ecosystem could follow. Without such safeguards, gig work risks remaining “platform labour” rather than genuine employment.
Towards a new work culture
India today is emerging as one of the most important players in the global gig economy. The sector is fuelling innovation, productivity, digital literacy and rural-urban integration. More than just a source of employment, gig work is being seen as a new way of life — flexible, self-reliant and digitally enabled.
For this transformation to mature, however, companies, government and society will need to work together to ensure that gig workers are recognised, protected and adequately compensated. If that happens, India’s gig economy could well become a global model of future work.