Page 4 - Gig Economy

Swiggy board okays plan to raise ₹10K cr via public, private offers

Swiggy's board has cleared a proposal to raise up to Rs 10,000 crore through QIP and other routes to fund growth in its quick commerce business and strengthen financial reserves

IFAT urges govt to implement social security framework for gig workers

Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) has urged Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for immediate implementation of social security framework for gig and platform workers under the Code on Social Security (CoSS), 2020. IFAT stated in a letter to Mandaviya earlier this week, that more than 2 crore app-based workers, including drivers, delivery personnel, and home-service providers, continue to work without formal rights, minimum safety nets, or institutional support, even though they form the backbone of India's growing digital economy. According to the IFAT letter, the CoSS, 2020 was the first legislation in India to formally recognise gig and platform workers and provide a statutory framework for their welfare, including life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, and old-age protection. However, even after five years of this major reform, no concrete welfare scheme has been operationalised, leaving gig and platform workers without

Equal work, unequal pay: Wage gap persists among gig workers, says report

Even as festive hiring for the year surged, wage parity between gig and permanent employees remained unresolved, with 47 per cent of respondents believing there is a pay gap, a report has revealed. When asked how the hourly pay of gig or freelance workers compares to that of permanent employees for the same role, 11 per cent respondents said earnings were up to 10 per cent less, 23 per cent said wages were 10-25 per cent lower and 13 per cent revealed the gap exceeds 25 per cent, according to the report by Genius HRTech (formerly Genius Consultants). Collectively, the report found that nearly half of the workforce -- 47 per cent -- believe gig workers are paid less than their permanent counterparts, revealing a persistent disparity that continues to shadow India's festive hiring landscape. The report by workforce staffing services and HR Solutions provider is based on a Digipoll survey among 1,550 professionals across industries during September 1-30, 2025. "The festive economy ...

Labour reform 2.0: India's digital blueprint for jobs and inclusion

To harness this shift, the Shram Shakti Niti draft outlines a series of interventions to bridge the divide between skill and opportunity

Quick-commerce player Zepto builds $1 bn war chest to take on competition

Zepto is raising $450 million in a round led by Calpers at a $7 billion valuation, building a $1 billion war chest as quick commerce competition intensifies in India

Inclined to stay bike taxi ban: K'taka HC seeks clarity on gig workers law

The Karnataka High Court questioned whether the state's new gig workers law applies to bike taxis and adjourned the matter to October 15, asking the government to avoid coercive steps against riders

Urban Company CEO says IPO success is 'Day Zero' for home services giant

Abhiraj Singh Bhal discusses profitability path and ₹8.5 lakh crore market opportunity after blockbuster public debut

Zepto ties up with ClearTax to help delivery executives file ITRs

Quick commerce firm Zepto on Tuesday said it has partnered with ClearTax to offer income tax return filing services for its delivery workforce, enabling refunds worth over Rs 1.5 crore to date. As many as 49 per cent of Zepto's delivery partners opted to file ITRs via ClearTax this year, with a significant share comprising first-time filers using a WhatsApp-based, multilingual interface available round the clock, a company statement said. The initiative helps workers to file returns through a chat-led process on WhatsApp in over seven Indian languages with an AI-powered system pre-filling data, computing taxes, and guiding users through deductions and exemptions before electronic filing and instant confirmation, it added. The programme combines digital and on-ground support, including helpdesks at Zepto dark stores, webinars, and telephonic support by ClearTax experts. "Thousands of gig workers across India are missing out on tax refunds due to limited financial literacy. ClearTax'

Major ecommerce firms complete tax-system overhaul ahead of festival season

Companies update platforms, train sellers on new tax codes

Shift in dependency as 83% of sole-earning women gig workers married: Study

Of the total women surveyed in Delhi NCR region, 16. 3 per cent responded as being sole earners

Mospi to provide data on India's gig and platform economy in PLFS

Move seen significant as existing data fails to capture digital work's nature

Updated industrial classification will help capture new economy data

India's NIC-2025 update to include digital, green, and gig sectors, ensuring accurate economic data, global comparability, and better policy planning

GST 2.0: Food-delivery giants face new ₹500 cr tax bill, margin crunch

Platforms must pay 18% GST on behalf of delivery workers, a move that could squeeze margins and raise consumer costs as growth slows

Flipkart hires 220,000 seasonal workers ahead of festive demand surge

Flipkart is hiring 220,000 seasonal workers to support its operations during the peak festive shopping season, expanding infrastructure and technology across India

Hiring boom likely to bring early festival cheer for gig workers

India's festive season may create up to 200,000 jobs, with quick commerce and logistics driving growth and 26% of gig roles expected to continue post-season

Recharging the old: How retrofitting can help improve green mobility

Unlike new EV purchases, which remain unaffordable for many low-income users and small fleet operators, retrofitting leverages existing assets

Qcom firms fail to meet basic standards, says Delhi-based workers' union

Union audit of 51 qcom warehouses in Delhi finds poor access to toilets, rest areas, safety gear, and management support for gig workers across major platforms

One Act and 3 Bills on, gig workers say there is progress, but not enough

Employer-employee relationship, work hours, wage guarantee, termination from work by platform remain pressing concerns

From aspirational to exhausted: Rethinking India's middle class story

A fragmented, fatigued population can't fuel economic growth the old way

OTP Please: Vandana Vasudevan exposes hard truths of the ecommerce economy

From online marketplaces using data to harm local businesses to the suffering that lies behind the glossy growth story that startups tell, Vandana Vasudevan exposes the hard truth of platform economy