Expansion of the gig and platform economy in India: Opportunities for Employer and Business Member Organizations

Gig and platform work has emerged as a key employment generator globally and in India. NITI Aayog estimates that the sector had 7.7 million workers in 2020, and the number is set to triple to 23.5 million by 2029 – 30. The sector has also led to drastically shifting work arrangement practices in the last few years, giving rise to new issues relating to employment, to which Employers and Business Member Organizations (EBMOs) globally have traditionally responded within a regulated framework.

As the regulatory landscape and thinking on the various aspects of worker welfare within the platform economy is still nascent and developing in India, the report calls for a greater role of institutions such as EBMOs in shaping social dialogue and organizing institutional efforts to address the challenges posed by the gig and platform economy.