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Strengthening Social Protection in the Platform Economy
21 October 2026
ABOUT THIS Report
India’s platform workforce is growing rapidly, but social protection remains inadequate. JustJobs Network’s report examines regulatory gaps, fragmented registration and weak welfare mechanisms that limit gig workers’ access to benefits. It recommends coherent laws, portable protections, accountable welfare boards, transparent platform practices and stronger tripartite dialogue to secure workers’ livelihoods.
Key Highlights
India’s platform economy is expanding rapidly from an estimated 12 million workers in 2024–25 to a projected 23.5 million by 2029-30. But can its promise of opportunity translate into secure livelihoods?
JustJobs Network’s report, Strengthening Social Protection in the Platform Economy, explores this question through stakeholder consultations with government officials, worker organisations, platforms and labour experts. It also examines India’s evolving regulatory frameworks at the national and state levels, drawing on international benchmarks to identify challenges and opportunities for strengthening social protection.
The report finds that legal recognition has not guaranteed meaningful protection for gig workers in India. Their classification outside traditional employment relationships limits access to labour rights while inconsistent definitions, overlapping registration systems and limited portability risk exclusion. Welfare boards offer a potential delivery mechanism, but weak financing, accountability and administrative opacity could reproduce longstanding failures.
The report calls for coherent laws and portable social protection across platforms, occupations and states. Priorities include interoperable registration, reliable financing, accountable welfare boards, independent audits and enforceable benefits. Platforms must ensure data access, human review and grievance redressal, supported by safer public infrastructure and sustained tripartite dialogue.
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