Digital Platforms and Policies: Advancing the Gig Economy towards Sustainability

The rapidly growing gig workforce stands as a pivotal pillar in the ongoing transformation of the global economy. ‘Gig workers’ refer to a section of the unorganised labour force who are not governed by a typical employer-employee relationship. Due to the lack of structured benefits, there has been a surge in demand for labor rights by gig workers. As the gig workforce expands, it is imperative that these labour policies not only provide for the upliftment of this workforce but also consider the sustainable incline this economy can promise for a smart future. In this paper, we have taken up various labour policies that place key importance on gig workers and have analysed the provisions of these policies through a sustainable lens using secondary data analysis. The paper further examines these policies and digital platforms from three different approaches - policy, social and environmental sustainability and proposes viewpoints on how digital platforms and policies can incorporate initiatives in these angles. This paper aims to highlight the key aspects of the existing policies and regulations that are being introduced for the gig workers to get a collective understanding of the platform economy and propose sustainable suggestions from the perspective of policy, social and environmental sustainability. As India progresses towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, it becomes pivotal to ensure that the potential of this workforce is harnessed by understanding the opportunities and hurdles faced by them