Hailing the freelance economy as it expands across global professions

Freelancers in the United States contribute significantly to the country's economy, with earnings totalling approximately $1.27 trillion in 2023

When I joined my first job in Bombay in 1971 after graduating from IIM Calcutta, I was bewildered: The office that lay in front of me had about 50 per cent of its space filled with young men and women sitting in front of typewriters hammering away at their keyboards. The office that I was at was supposed to be that of India’s hottest creative ad agency of the time. My 21-year-old mind started wondering: Is this how this company created all those wonderful ads in dailies? Was using a mechanical typewriter was the key to being creative? 

I get