India gig workers lack cover amidst rising safety risks

More than 57% spend at least 49 hours weekly on platform work, and 23.4% exceed 70 hours.

About three in five gig workers in India said they do not have health insurance, leaving many workers without financial protection despite high exposure to road accidents, extreme weather and work-related health risks.

More than 62% of India’s platform-based gig workers do not have health insurance, whilst 44.2% lack accident insurance, according to a report by Janpahal and the Gig Workers Association (GigWA).

The report, titled Occupational Safety and Health of Platform-based Gig Workers in India, surveyed 1,000 platform workers across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Agra, Lucknow, Jaipur and Patna. 

It found that more than 57% work at least 49 hours a week, whilst 23.4% work more than 70 hours.

The findings highlight the risks faced by workers in an industry where insurance and other employment protections remain limited. 

Even amongst workers who have insurance, the report said many face difficulties accessing benefits.

Some 27% of respondents said they had experienced traffic-related accidents, whilst 38% had suffered injuries linked to poor road conditions. About 62.2% had encountered near-miss safety incidents involving their vehicles.

Two-thirds of the workers surveyed, or 66.4%, use two-wheelers as their primary mode of transport for work, exposing them to road and traffic risks. A further 34.1% said they had personally experienced harassment, abuse or violence whilst working.

The report also found significant work-related health concerns. Fatigue and sleep disruption were reported by 64.5% of workers, followed by musculoskeletal pain at 47.42%, stress and anxiety at 41.08%, eye strain at 30% and respiratory issues at 26.45%.

Long working hours are compounded by limited access to basic facilities. Some 74.6% said rest areas were completely unavailable, whilst 66.2% said they were rarely or never able to take breaks during working hours. 

About 53.8% had to pay for drinking water themselves, and 43.9% relied on paid public toilets.

Extreme heat and weather conditions add to the risks, with workers reporting overheating, dehydration and skin irritation whilst working outdoors.

Despite these risks, 68.4% said they received no health-related support or guidance from their platforms. 

About 59% said they had not received any safety training, whilst 56.8% were not confident that their platform had effective channels for reporting safety concerns and following up on them.

The report said the findings point to a system where responsibility for managing occupational risks is largely left to individual workers, with limited institutional support from platforms or social security mechanisms.

The study also highlighted gaps in protection for workers with disabilities and women. Women accounted for 10.5% of respondents and were more concentrated in household and personal care and food and grocery delivery, whilst men were more represented in ride-hailing, delivery and e-commerce.

The report called for stronger occupational safety and health standards, legal recognition and enforceable rights for gig workers. 

It also recommended mandatory safety training, stronger grievance mechanisms, greater accountability for platform algorithms and the provision of health insurance.

At a panel discussion in Delhi, food delivery worker Majid Ali said accidents were common amongst workers trying to meet delivery deadlines and that the absence of health insurance made treatment difficult to afford, particularly at private hospitals.

The report was released on September 3 at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi. It was prepared by researchers Josika Mahindru, Muhammed Mukhtar Alam and Nitesh Kumar Das.