Reshaping India's Gig Economy: Calls for Fair Wages and Policy Interventions

The Economic Survey 2025-26 emphasizes policy changes to improve conditions for India's gig workers, 40% of whom earn below Rs 15,000 monthly. Calls include setting minimum earnings and ensuring fair wages. The gig economy, while expanding, faces issues like income volatility, limited credit access, and worker vulnerability.

The Economic Survey 2025-26 highlights the pressing need for significant policy interventions in India's gig economy, noting that approximately 40 percent of gig workers earn less than Rs 15,000 per month. The Survey suggests implementing minimum per-hour or per-task earnings, which account for compensation during waiting periods, to ensure fair wages.

Despite the rapid expansion of the gig economy, income volatility remains a challenge, hindering credit access for gig workers. Additionally, 'thin-file' credit options are scarce, causing financial inclusion concerns. The Survey stresses the importance of redefining gig work policies to provide workers with genuine choices, rather than being driven into gigs by external pressures.

Furthermore, the study points out that platform algorithms control various aspects of employment, raising alarms about algorithmic biases and burnout. To bridge the gap between regular and gig employment, it recommends co-investment in tools and training with employers, citing the lack of access to productive assets as a barrier for workers seeking upward mobility.

(With inputs from agencies.)