'Calling Gig Economy Exploitative Is Political, Not Factual' Says Amitabh Kant Joining Debate
Describing criticism of the sector as “exploitation” by people “who have not created a single job,” Kant said such objections are political rather than factual.
Amitabh Kant, the ex-CEO of NITI Aayog, has weighed in on the debate around India’s gig and quick-commerce sector, arguing that the economy is fundamentally driven by consumer demand and warning against politicising the space.
Kant noted that gig jobs in India are projected to rise from 7.7 million to 23.5 million by 2030, calling it one of the country’s largest job-creation engines. Describing criticism of the sector as “exploitation” by people “who have not created a single job,” he said such objections are political rather than factual.
Highlighting the scale of consumer adoption, he pointed out that Zomato and Blinkit together delivered more than 75 lakh orders on December 31 alone, driven by millions of Indians opting for speed, convenience and value.
Kant cautioned that politicising the gig economy could hurt quick commerce, destroy jobs and push workers back into the informal sector with no rights and no safety. He also criticised AAP and Raghav Chadha, saying they are “not job creators, they are job killers”.
Backing Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal and Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa, Kant said markets should function freely while social safety nets are strengthened, rather than innovation being “sabotaged for political ends.”
This development comes on the back of Goyal's response to critics of the gig-economy model, arguing that calls to dismantle it risk harming the very workers they claim to protect. In a series of lengthy social media posts on Friday, Goyal wrote about the invisibility of the working class, economic inequality, and what he described as “rich guilt.”
Goyal further said that the conversation around delivery partners often ignores the complex trade-offs involved in building sustainable livelihoods while balancing consumer expectations and business realities. “Ban gig work and you don’t solve inequality. You remove livelihoods,” Goyal said.
The debate intensified this week after a section of gig workers went on strike on New Year’s Eve, demanding higher pay and better working conditions. Despite the agitation, platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato and Magicpin reportedly saw a significant surge in orders on the same day.
