Today, a typical morning in any Indian metropolis would see busy gig platform delivery partners hurrying to deliver their orders while gig drivers of mobility platforms shuttle customers to their destinations.

Over 7.7 million individuals were employed in gig labour in 2020–21, according to an NITI Aayog study in 2022. By 2029–2030, the numbers are anticipated to reach 23.5 million.

The emergence of this new line of labour is not without its difficulties, though. A recent film, Zwigato, presented the touching tale of one such fictitious gig worker and his family.

According to the NITI Aayog study, there are a number of developing criteria to protect those who operate in gig employment.

• In order to formalise credit and include more gig workers, access to credit is a crucial factor. It is also crucial that more women have access to credit.
• Developing skills is another area of emphasis. According to the survey, the sort of gig labour differs depending on skill level, with 31% of gig workers having low skills, 47% having medium skills, and 22% having high abilities. The survey also mentioned how the concentration of gig jobs with a medium level of ability was decreasing while the others were growing.
• Given the transient nature of certain gig work, it is crucial to examine benefits carefully. Other crucial factors are insurance and retirement or pension plans with provisions for sick leave and similar amenities.

Some of the mounting complaints about long hours and challenging working conditions for gig workers are being addressed by the biggest gig platforms. Just a few of the emerging initiatives include Zomato's introduction of shelter rest areas for delivery people to rest and unwind between deliveries, Swiggy's skilling programmes for gig workers, ambulance services to businesses like DriveU offering insurance for their drivers, and Urban Company's partner ESOP plan. There is still a lot to be done.

Additionally, there are growing technologies that might offer support for gig workers as well as their employers, the platforms.

1. Facilitating a work process that is more seamless:
   For a gig worker, the entire employment process—from hiring through onboarding—is quite different. Some best practises that businesses adhere to were highlighted in a 2022 study by the Asia Foundation and Sattva Consulting. These best practises include multilingual contracts by Swiggy and Zomato, Uber's partner seva kendras, and Urban Company's collaboration with the NSDC to train 30,00 new employees as part of the PMKVY 2.0 project.BetterPlace has created a single interface for gig workers that covers everything from hiring through onboarding, attendance, payroll, and compliance, as well as upskilling and workforce fulfilment.
    
2. How do gig workers find out about forthcoming gig opportunities?
   According to the Sattva study, the e-SHRAM portal had roughly 700,000 gig workers registered, but the demand was far greater. Large platforms each have their own methods. from Swiggy's emphasis on ads to Urban Company's referral reward strategy.LaborNet has established its Sahi platform to examine the supply side of the issue, to assist in getting the right people for the right gig job, at scale, as well as to safeguard the interests of the gig workers.
    
3. Building trust:
   Establishing trust with a widely distributed workforce is a growing topic of concern. One such cutting-edge method for reducing human risk is TRST Score, an HR digital business, and it is not only for gig workers. Companies can submit gig workers' employment histories into the TRST Score to assist keep records and lower the risk of background checks. As labour circumstances and legislation change, more of these solutions will need to be developed.