Gig Workers in India: Legal Issues and Challenges in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

The gig economy has transformed the nature of work in India, drawing millions of workers into arrangements mediated by digital platforms rather than conventional employment contracts. While this model offers flexibility and low entry barriers, it has also exposed gig and platform workers to precarious income, absence of social security, opaque algorithmic control, and limited access to grievance redressal. This article reviews the legal issues and challenges faced by the gig workforce in India, from judicial intervention and the passing of the Code on Social Security, 2020, through its operationalisation in 2026, to the tide of state-specific welfare legislation in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand and Telangana. It also examines the unresolved classification debate before the Supreme Court of India in the IFAT litigation, the structural gaps in enforcement and coverage. It places India’s experience in the wider global conversation on platform work regulation. The article argues that while India has moved from legislative silence to formal recognition of gig work, translating statutory entitlement into enforceable, portable, and adequate protection remains a work in progress.