What I learnt in two months as a gig worker

The notification chimed on my phone: “Order received – Rs 20 for 3.2 km delivery.” I looked at the address, started my bike, and began what would become a two-month journey into India’s platform economy.

By the time I delivered that first order – a 20-minute hunt through narrow lanes to find a customer’s house in the dark – I had earned my first Rs 20 as a gig worker. More importantly, I had begun to understand the vast gap between the gig economy’s promises and realities.

This wasn’t planned research. In September 2024, while studying rural employment programmes in Maharashtra, I kept encountering young migrants who moonlighted as delivery workers. As the thunktank NITI Aayog projected India’s gig workforce would triple to 23.5 million workers by 2029-’30, I realised that understanding this growth required more than interviews and surveys. It required experiencing the algorithm’s control first-hand.

Entering the algorithm

Becoming a delivery partner proved deceptively simple. After downloading the app and providing basic details (phone number, bank information, and Aadhaar card), I encountered the first revealing requirement – Rs 400 sign-up fee plus Rs 2,000 for branded clothing and delivery bag, deductible from future earnings. The platform extracted payment before I had earned a single rupee.

What the...

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