70 pc of gig worker households report higher disposable incomes: Report

New Delhi, Nov 28 Around 70 per cent of gig worker households report higher disposable incomes, driven by predictable earning models and consistent work opportunities, a report said on Friday.

The report from think tank Empower India said that large homegrown and global companies are investing in gig workers, creating a future where flexibility and protection work together, challenging narratives that portray India’s gig economy as precarious.

Far from driving precarity, India’s largest retail and e-commerce companies are enabling this shift through transparent earnings, technology-enabled safety systems, integration with social security frameworks, and structured career mobility, the report said.

The think tank said that platforms such as Amazon, Delhivery, and Reliance Retail are introducing transparent earnings, technology‑enabled safety systems, integration with social security frameworks and structured career mobility.

“Attempts by global unions to disrupt this progress misunderstand India’s realities and, ironically, undermine the very worker welfare they claim to uphold," Empower India Director General K. Giri said.

Giri said that companies in the gig economy are building safer workplaces, transparent income structures, and real mobility, calling it "responsible labour practice which is happening at scale in India".

The report highlighted stronger integration with social protection systems such as e‑SHRAM and employer‑backed insurance.

It noted increased participation of women due to enhanced safety measures and flexible options, wider access to skills and mobility pathways.

These advancements challenge generalised claims portraying gig work in India as uniformly unsafe or exploitative, the report noted.

The effective rollout of India’s labour codes hinges on deeper collaboration between trade bodies, policymakers, and large corporations, the think tank said.

These companies have already digitally empowered millions of MSMEs, created lakhs of part-time and seasonal jobs, and provided predictable income opportunities for a gig workforce that is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030, the statement said.

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