Reimagining Platform-Work

Context

In 2020-2021, gig workers represented approximately 1.5% of India’s total workforce.
This number is estimated to be around 7.7 million people. 

In 2022, when the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) approached Vidhi to convene a roundtable on a law for gig workers, it sparked the beginning of a long-term, collaborative journey. Alongside IFAT, we began exploring the often-overlooked rights of platform workers—grievance redressal, occupational health and safety, fair contracts, and most critically, collective bargaining.

While much of the national conversation remained centered around extending social security to gig workers, we believed the issue demanded a broader lens. For instance, a single bad rating—often generated by an opaque algorithm—could result in a worker being permanently removed from the platform. Workers were being monitored and managed by algorithmic systems with no transparency or recourse. These systems were accountable to no one because no law required them to be.

We asked a simple yet radical question: What would a rights-based framework for gig workers look like?

Laying the Legal Groundwork

We set out to create a Model Law for Platform-Based Gig Workers—a first-of-its-kind legal framework that moved beyond social security to imagine comprehensive protections rooted in fairness, transparency, and dignity of work. This included provisions for:

• Algorithmic accountability and transparency
• Fair contracts and working conditions
• A human-led grievance redressal mechanism
• Recognition of gig workers as a distinct employee group entitled to specific rights

In a climate where digital platforms providing ride hailing and food delivery services were seen as critical contributors to state economies, this model law was intentionally ahead of its time. 

From Blueprint to Law

Despite initial hesitation, the model law began to gain traction. In Rajasthan, when a public consultation opened on the state’s draft gig workers law, Vidhi saw an opportunity to integrate more than fair and equal pay principles into the Rajasthan Bill; we submitted comments around fair categorisation to gig workers, minimum income entitlements, income disputes, etc and several were adopted. But the law still fell short.

In Karnataka, our engagement went deeper.

We assisted the Department of Labour in drafting a bill that would form the basis of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, which was given effect as an ordinance in May 2025. Nearly 70% of Vidhi’s model law was reflected in this version, exemplifying our journey from concept to codification.

Expanding the Conversation

The model law has since served as a springboard for similar engagements across multiple states:

• Telangana: In collaboration with the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, Vidhi initiated policy discussions and submitted our model law to the state.
• Jharkhand: Vidhi and IFAT submitted joint comments on the Jharkhand Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2024. Several of our suggestions were designed to strengthen accountability mechanisms within the proposed framework.
• Rajasthan: In 2023, Vidhi submitted comments on the draft Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, some of which were incorporated into the final law passed by the Legislative Assembly in July 2023. Vidhi also provided inputs on the subordinate legislation and participated in expert consultations with respect to this law.

Throughout this journey, Vidhi has emphasised that one-size-fits-all won’t work. Each state’s gig economy is different. Our approach remains tailored, rooted in local realities, and shaped by sustained consultations with workers.

A Growing Movement

“Vidhi has been instrumental in collaborating with us to inform us about the relevant laws for the gig and platform economy. They provided us with a legal blueprint for safeguarding rights of gig and platform workers. They have identified and put forth valuable policy recommendations on various issues faced by platform workers- such as lack of social security, algorithmic mediation of work, lack of fair bargaining power. Lawyers at Vidhi have their fingers on the pulse of the issue and are always ready to extend a helping hand regarding issues faced by gig and platform workers through their legal and policy research. Vidhi interacted with gig and platform workers to gauge the ground realities with support and help from the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union”

– Shaik Salahuddin, National General Secretary, Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and Founder President, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union

With gig workers projected to make up 4% of India’s workforce by 2030—approximately 23.5 million people—the need for structural reform is urgent. Our ongoing work on minimum wage standards and active civil society engagement is part of a broader mission to reimagine the future of platform work in India.

By embedding algorithmic transparency, institutional accountability, and human dignity into law, we are shaping not just a legal framework, but a more equitable digital economy.