India’s gig economy has transitioned from being a facilitator of urban convenience to a structural pillar of the country’s labour market. Estimated at 120 lakh by 2024-25, according to the Economic Survey 2025–26, gig workers now make up over 2% of India's workforce, with non-agricultural gig work projected to reach 6.7% by 2029–30 and contribute ?2.35 lakh crore to GDP.
As the platform economy grows, so do questions around road and digital safety, inclusion for women and persons with disabilities, and social protection outside traditional employment. These themes shaped the 3rd edition of Powering Inclusive Growth: Role of Platforms Conference in New Delhi, organised by Zomato and Blinkit in collaboration with Startup India, DPIIT.
The significance of the conference was reinforced by the presence and insights of senior policymakers and industry leaders. The Chief Guest for the Conference, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, acknowledged, “It is encouraging to see industry leaders, innovators and platforms come together to advance delivery worker wellbeing. Platform-based work has opened new avenues of opportunity for millions across the country. The responsibility now is to ensure that this growth is accompanied by robust safeguards and access to social security. While platforms continue to proactively invest in delivery worker wellbeing, such efforts will be strengthened further through constructive engagement and policy support. We encourage platforms to register themselves and their platform workers on the E-Shram portal and to proactively invest in the well-being of delivery.”
Setting the macroeconomic context, Dr Shamika Ravi, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, who graced the afternoon as the Guest of Honour, emphasised how India’s digital public infrastructure has unlocked a new platform ecosystem, adding, “As the gig and platform economy grows, we must ensure our financial systems evolve alongside it. Extending access to savings and financial tools is essential to strengthening resilience for platform workers. There is dignity in every form of work, and platforms like Zomato and Blinkit are playing a critical role in empowering workers to build long-term financial security.”
The discussions moved fluidly across themes that are increasingly inseparable. Safety, for instance, was not approached merely as accident prevention, but as part of a broader architecture of health, wellbeing and tech-enabled safeguards. Platforms such as Zomato and Blinkit offer structured road safety training during onboarding and system-level design interventions that reduce on-road pressure, reflecting a move toward embedding safeguards within operational frameworks.
Inclusion was another central theme of the conference, explored through the lens of workforce participation and long-term opportunity. The discussion moved beyond representation to structural questions: how to rethink skilling, provide seamless access to credit and enhance financial inclusion, so that participation in the platform economy expands meaningfully and equitably.
The Guest of Honour, Ms Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, during her address emphasised the need for measurable progress, saying, “True inclusion is measured by economic empowerment, and accessibility must be its foundation, a universal design principle, never an afterthought. We are calling on all corporate organisations to commit to meaningful PwD hiring within the next one to two years and ensure real representation within their diversity goals. The inclusion gap must be closed across entire platforms and workplaces, and the department stands ready to support this effort. We commend Zomato and Blinkit for setting a strong benchmark, from rigorous skill assessments and accessible interfaces to onboarding single mothers, demonstrating what genuine commitment to worker wellbeing and inclusive growth looks like. Together, we can build a more equitable economy."
The Guest of Honour, Shri Randip Singh Jagpal, Whole Time Member (Law), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, observed, “A growing gig workforce demands calibrated policy and collaborative action. At PFRDA, we are working to ensure that the evolution of work does not come at the cost of social protection. Through frameworks like the NPS e-Shramik (Platform Service Partner) model, we are enabling portability and continuity of pension benefits for platform workers. We are already seeing growing participation from gig workers associated with Zomato and Blinkit. The rapid expansion of this workforce makes inclusive social security not just a regulatory priority, but a shared social responsibility. Initiatives like this one are exactly the kind of industry-regulator collaboration that will define India's next growth chapter.”
Building on this regulatory framework, Zomato proactively introduced the NPS Platform Workers Model in October 2025, in partnership with HDFC Pension. The initiative enables delivery partners to open National Pension System accounts through a digitally integrated process, allowing flexible contributions and ensuring portability of retirement benefits across platforms.
Another notable highlight of the conference was the launch of a whitepaper enhancing women’s participation in urban last-mile logistics. The research, co-authored by The Udaiti Foundation, Nikore Associates and CII Centre for Women Leadership, with inputs from Zomato and Blinkit, investigates structural barriers that limit women’s entry into logistics roles. The emphasis was on the fact that opportunity exists, but enabling conditions — safety, urban amenities such as sanitation, 2-wheeler riding training, digital literacy and ecosystem support — must evolve in tandem.
The event also showcased startup-led innovations aimed at improving worker wellbeing — from health and safety tools to financial inclusion and upskilling solutions. This underscored a larger truth that the gig economy is generating its own ecosystem of problem-solvers.
In many ways, India’s platform economy mirrors the country’s broader development trajectory. It is ambitious, technology-driven and scale-oriented. As millions of workers enter this space over the next decade, the decisions taken today around inclusion, safety and financial resilience will define the contours of India’s gig economy for years to come. The 3rd edition of the Powering Inclusive Growth: Role of Platforms conference reflected a clear inflexion point in the evolution of India’s gig economy.