India's Gig Workforce To Nearly Triple By 2030, Plug 70% Of Job Creation Gap

India's gig internet workforce is set to nearly triple to 1.7-2.1 crore monthly active workers by 2030, up from around 60 lakh today, according to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants titled "Gig Internet Workforce in India: Bridge to ~20 Million Livelihoods."

The workforce, spanning delivery, ride-hailing and home services, is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 24-29%, the report said. This growth could help bridge nearly 70% of India's annual non-farm job creation requirement of around 80 lakh jobs by 2030, with more than 30% of projected gig workers expected to be first-time entrants to the workforce.

Earnings on gig platforms significantly outpace comparable formal and informal jobs. Full-time gig workers earn up to 2.5 times the monthly net earnings of workers in similar formal and informal roles, the report showed. Average earnings stood at Rs 138 per hour for gig workers against Rs 54 per hour for comparable formal and informal workers.

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India's reliance on job additions via the gig economy is on a steep rise.
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Full-time monthly net earnings varied sharply by sector. Home services workers earned Rs 70,000-80,000 a month, ride-hailing drivers Rs 37,000-39,000, and delivery workers Rs 22,000-23,000, the report said.

"Over the past decade, Gig Internet has emerged as a critical pillar of the country's workforce," said Anil Kumar, Founder and CEO of Redseer Strategy Consultants. "By connecting workers to flexible, on-demand earning opportunities at scale, these platforms have opened a new and accessible path to livelihood for India's formal and informal workforce," he said, adding that the sector's growth warrants a closer, worker-centric understanding of what draws people to gig roles.

The report, based on a survey of 2,250 gig workers, found that 54% were not in paid work before joining gig platforms, underscoring the sector's role in expanding access to livelihoods, particularly for first-time entrants and the unemployed. Around 70% of surveyed workers said gig work had improved their future job prospects, with platforms providing skills such as customer handling, navigation and financial planning.

Ride-hailing accounted for the largest share of the projected 2030 workforce at 1.2-1.4 crore workers, followed by delivery at 50-70 lakh and home services at 20,000-30,000, the report added. Welfare coverage for gig workers was also found to be broadly comparable to that of formal salaried employees, though awareness of these benefits remains moderate.

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