The NGO Janpahal conducted a nationwide survey, documenting the everyday occupational hazards faced by platform workers, especially during extreme weather conditions. Interviewing over 1,000 platform workers across ten metropolitan cities, Janpahal presented its initial findings in the report “Occupational Safety and Health of Platform-Based Gig Workers in India.”More Than 20% Gig Workers Work 70+ Hours Per Week: Report - The Wire
The survey indicates that platform work remains largely outside the reach of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations; workers constantly being exposed to compromising working conditions often falling outside the ambit of what the International Labour Organisation (ILO) constitutes as “a safe and healthy work environment.”
Platform work is predominantly characterised by long-hours and sustained engagement: “More than half of respondents reported working more than 49 hours per week, with nearly one-fourth reporting working over 70 hours per week. These working hours are well above the formal-sector limit of 48 hours per week set out under various labour laws.” Prolonged hours exacerbate the already high occupational safety concerns associated with gig work such as poor road conditions, risks of accidents, and exposure to violence and harassment while working.
Quick commerce companies function on a simple formula — the more orders one delivers, the more one earns. Capitalising on urban India’s psychological fixation of instant gratification, the gig economy has expanded exponentially over the last five years. According to a report by Niti Aayog, India’s steadily growing gig economy is projected to witness a hike in the number of gig workers, reaching an astounding 23.5 million by 2030 as compared to 7.7 million in 2021. Given these realities, the concerns gig workers are raising cannot go ignored.
by Ritvi Jain
04/02/2026