Beyond the Gig: Reimagining Work in the Platform Age
The gig economy began expanding its footprint in India well over a decade ago, but until recently, remained largely unregulated. Existing laws, originally drafted to govern traditional employer-employee arrangements, have struggled to accommodate gig workers, who are uniquely vulnerable. The first winds of change came with legislations enacted by states like Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Bihar, which provided gig workers with social security and welfare benefits.1 On 21st November, 2025, in a major legal development, four new labour codes were brought in force.2 These codes consolidate 29 existing labour laws, and, for the first time, provide a framework for potentially centrally regulating the gig economy.
However, these codes raise as many questions as they resolve. The government’s press release claims to have defined gig workers for the first time under the Code on Social Security, 2020. This definition is insufficient, for it simply establishes that gig workers are separate from regular employees and other non-employee classes of workers. The recent gig workers’ strike, indicates that these laws fall short of providing adequate rights or welfare measures to the workers.
In this timely series, authors illuminate a way forward, posing fundamental questions about relations of work in the platform economy, as they assess the industry’s response to the new governing framework. Can the gig economy be considered a market failure? What are the regulatory issues confronting the gig economy? Why do the newly introduced labour codes fail to address persistent concerns? Next, they examine the extent to which the gig economy can be likened to an urban employment guarantee scheme and emphasise the importance of acknowledging the precarity and vulnerability of gig workers as a first step in alleviating their condition. Further, critical gaps regarding gender-responsive policy in gig work are highlighted and addressed in order to push the discussion beyond employment protections. The problem is also approached from an antitrust lens, identifying specific competition concerns that arise from the organisation of labour on gig platforms. Finally, Professor Babu Mathew, former Registrar and faculty at NLSIU and trade union leader, joins us for a conversation on the future of gig work.
[1] The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act 2023; The Bihar Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Safety and Welfare) Act 2025; The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act 2025
[2] Code on Wages 2019; Code on Social Security 2020; Industrial Relations Code 2020; Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020