India's gig workers hit hardest by coronavirus pandemic, finds survey

This survey of 770 ride-sharing drivers, delivery workers, and housecleaners using digital platforms was conducted in August 2020, as Covid-19 cases were surging across in India

Nearly 90 per cent of Indian gig workers have lost income during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey by Flourish Ventures, a global fintech venture capital fund with investments across South Asia.

These workers enjoyed above-average earnings before the pandemic, but more than a third surveyed were making less than Rs 5,000 (approximately $68) per month by August. The research also highlighted the potential of fintech to serve their unmet financial needs and improve their financial security.

“Gig workers have been hurting as the Covid-19 crisis has persisted in India, even when they had a financial cushion in the form of