Tech3 | Are gig workers underpaid in India; No fine-tuning allowed under IndiaAI mission; and more

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In today’s newsletter:

• Are gig workers underpaid in India?
• No fine-tuning allowed under IndiaAI mission
• India emerges as AR hub for Snapchat

Are gig workers underpaid in India?

India’s 10 million-strong gig workforce is expected to touch 23.5 million by 2030. But are gig worker earnings keeping pace? Let’s look at what the data says.?

Driving the news: Almost 98% of the gig workers in India earn less than Rs 5 lakh per year, according to data from TeamLease Digital.

• Of this, over three-quarters –77.6% – earn Rs 2.5 lakh and under, while nearly 20% earn between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh
• A small minority – 2.6%– take home between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh per year, the data showed

To earn these wages, 85% of the gig workers put in eight hours a day, while around 21% work for over 12 hours.

• For context, freshers in India’s IT sector earn around Rs 3.5-4 lakh per annum?on average.?

Where the demand lies:?Rapidly growing sectors like quick commerce, food delivery, and e-commerce, together account for around 40% of the gig workforce.

• Companies that operate large delivery fleets and warehouses, like Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, and Flipkart, currently employ the largest number of gig workers

Delivery workers for these firms have, however, pointed to a lack of transparency on how their commissions are calculated, citing “arbitrary” and “unexplained” pay deductions.

• While these companies do offer their workers insurance covers as well, delivery workers say that the process of claiming this insurance is a cumbersome process, with reimbursements made too late?

Booster shot:?The government has also recently announced several schemes for gig worker betterment.

• This encompasses their inclusion under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY), as well as getting identity cards and healthcare benefits under the PM Jan Arogya Yojna.?

However, a lack of clarity on the implementation of these schemes has left industry stakeholders wanting.

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