Worker Well-being on Digital Platforms: A Study of Ola Cabs & UrbanClap in New Delhi

This study looks at labour wellbeing in India’s platform economy. In a number of industrialised economies, the platform economy is disrupting existing structures of formal work, contributing to the creation of new forms of non-standard, gig-based work. In contrast, in India, informality has been a persistent feature of the economy, with most workers working in low-wage work, for multiple employers, and without access to any formal social insurance or protection.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with workers on two platforms, Ola Cabs (ride-hailing) and UrbanClap (home-services) in New Delhi, this paper draws attention to the motivations, experiences and expectations of platform workers. What impact are digital work platforms having on worker wellbeing in India and their perceptions thereof? In what ways is the platform economy recasting existing structures and practices of informality? What kinds of policies are needed to ensure labour wellbeing and protection?