Platform Workers in India: Wages, Skills, and Working Conditions
ICSSR-funded large-scale quantitative study of 2,000+ platform workers across delivery, transport, and service platforms in India.
Overview
This is an ongoing research project funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), conducting large-scale quantitative analysis of platform workers across delivery, transport, and service platforms in India. The project examines how workers’ skills and specialization patterns affect their ability to resist downward wage pressure in the gig economy.
Project Details
- Funding: Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), India
- Role: Co-Project Director
- Period: 2022 – ongoing
- Field Sites: Ahmedabad, Pune
- Platforms Studied: Zomato, Swiggy, Urban Company, Uber
Research Questions
- How do platform workers’ skills and specialization patterns affect their earnings?
- What determines wage differentials across heterogeneous platform types?
- How do workers navigate algorithmic management and exercise agency?
- What role does informality play in shaping platform work outcomes?
Methods
- Econometric analysis including wage determination models and instrumental variables approaches
- Large-scale primary survey data (2,000+ workers)
- Cross-platform comparative analysis