Gig and Platform Work in India: Flexibility, Algorithmic Management and the Emerging Social Security Framework

Abstract

Digital labour platforms have become a significant source of work in India, spanning delivery, ride-hailing, logistics and home services. NITI Aayog estimated 7.7 million gig workers in 2020-21 and projected 23.5 million by 2029-30. This growth raises questions about earnings, working conditions and social protection for workers outside traditional employment. This paper reviews international and Indian research on platform work and examines India's evolving regulatory response. Using a structured narrative review of peer-reviewed studies, official reports and legislation up to 2026, the paper organises the evidence around three themes: the value of flexibility, the effects of algorithmic management, and the design of social security. The review finds that platform work offers genuine flexibility that workers value, but that earnings are volatile and control is exercised through opaque algorithms. Independent assessments indicate that only two of eleven rated Indian platforms could show that workers earned the local minimum wage after costs, and none recognised a collective body of workers. India's policy response has accelerated: the Code on Social Security, 2020, which formally recognises gig and platform workers and requires aggregators to contribute 1 to 2 per cent of annual turnover to a social security fund, came into force in November 2025, and states such as Rajasthan and Karnataka have enacted their own laws. The paper discusses implications for platforms, policymakers and workers and proposes an agenda for research on earnings measurement, algorithmic transparency, women's participation and the effects of new welfare levies.