BENGALURU GIG WORKERS
Andhra Pradesh inks 9 MoUs for Rs 4,100 crore space-defence push
At the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on 12-13 November 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board signed nine MoUs covering rocket engines and test beds, satellites, missiles, explosives, aerospace manufacturing, flight training and heliports. Eight of them propose investments totalling Rs 4,100 crore and 6,865 direct jobs on about 1,472 acres in Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, Nellore and Visakhapatnam. The ninth is a five-year strategic partnership with Pawan Hans to develop and operate heliports across the State.
MeitY examines data collection by home services platforms for physical AI training
The consultation comes amid growing interest among AI and robotics developers in first-person video and sensor data, which can help train machines to understand and replicate human actions in real-world environments. Such recordings capture how people perform routine activities, providing training inputs for robots designed to undertake physical tasks.
Lenskart, Nykaa, PhysicsWallah see Q2 profits surge
New-age companies Nykaa, Lenskart, and PhysicsWallah reported strong numbers for the September quarter. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Premji's deeptech bets; Razorpay gets IPO nod
Happy Thursday! Premji Invest is stepping up its bets on defence and aerospace manufacturing.This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Karnataka plans $400 billion Bengaluru region economy by 2037
Karnataka plans to expand Bengaluru's economy to $400 billion by 2037. The master plan aims to create millions of new jobs and boost key sectors. It seeks to drive private investment and finance urban transformation through land value capture. The region will be developed as a global hub for technology and advanced manufacturing. Public transport expansion and water security are also key components of this ambitious plan.
Platforms, IAMAI move Karnataka HC against gig workers welfare law
The petitions come after the state government did not respond to IAMAI's request to defer the levy of the gig workers' welfare fee until the Centre and the state evolve a mechanism to offset contributions under their respective laws, and notify specific welfare schemes for gig workers.
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IAMAI urges Karnataka to defer gig worker welfare fee on ecomm firms till specifics are defined
Per the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security & Welfare) Act, 2025, ecommerce operators are required to pay 1% of their commission, subject to a cap, to fund gig workers’ welfare.
Aggregators to pay 1% of commission for gig workers’ welfare in Karnataka
The fee, capped at 50 paise, 75 paise, and Re 1, depending on the business models of the platform, is expected to raise Rs 250-300 crore annually. It will benefit about five lakh gig workers across Karnataka, including 2.75 lakh in Bengaluru, working in ride-hailing, ecommerce, and food delivery.
News Labour Codes: Gig platforms to set aside 1-2% of turnover for worker welfare
New labour codes mandate online aggregators and marketplaces to contribute 1-2% of their annual turnover to a gig worker welfare fund. This move, impacting companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, and Amazon India, aims to provide welfare benefits through an Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number for gig and platform workers.
ETtech Explainer: How the ban on Karnataka's bike taxis affects gig workers, commuters
While Rapido and Uber have changed their bike taxi options to courier services on their apps, Ola has removed the option from its app. Users feel that the renaming has been done to escape the regulations. Per Shaik Salauddin, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union founder president, this non-transparent act puts the jobs of the gig workers involved at risk.
Gig workers’ welfare programme: With ordinance out, Karnataka to issue draft rules in two weeks
Once finalised, the regulations will prescribe the rates of fees payable by platforms for services, such as ride-hailing, food delivery and online retail.Labour minister Santosh Lad credits Rahul Gandhi with the vision for the move. About five lakh gig workers are engaged by platforms throughout the state, and the law will benefit all of them, he added.
Karnataka eyes gig fund rollout by August end; labour dept engages platforms to fix fee
The Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill 2024 has been sent by the government to Raj Bhavan with a request to issue an Ordinance. The rules will suggest differential rates of fee for services, such as ride hailing, food delivery and online retail.
ETtech Explainer: How Karnataka’s gig worker tax could change the app economy
Karnataka is considering a differential levy on app-based platforms to fund a social security scheme for gig and platform workers. The move, if approved, could set a precedent for other states. The proposed framework aims to create a dedicated welfare fund without initially passing the cost onto consumers or workers.
Karnataka may levy differential fee on app-based services to fund gig workers welfare
Karnataka is planning a differential levy on app-based aggregators to fund gig workers' welfare, with rates from 1% to 5% of worker commissions. A rights-based law, set via Ordinance, will establish a welfare board and grievance system. The levy rollout may take six months post public consultation and rule finalisation.
Coming soon: Karnataka plans 5% fee on online platforms Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber to fund gig worker welfare
At a meeting in Delhi on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked state chief minister Siddaramaiah to go ahead with the law. The state government will now set up a gig workers’ welfare board to plan and implement schemes for their benefit.
Karnataka aims to ensure proposed gig workers bill is ‘win-win for all’
The Karnataka government is planning to extend social security benefits to platform-based gig workers in Bengaluru. Tech firms have raised concerns, leading to a wider consultation. The proposed bill may include a fee on online transactions to fund welfare expenditure. The initiative follows discussions with various platforms and aims to protect workers' rights.
Karnataka releases draft gig workers Bill; seeks comments from platforms, other stakeholders
Karnataka introduced draft Bill for app-based platforms to provide social security benefits to gig workers and sought public feedback. The Bill proposes fee on transactions and penalties for non-compliance. It aims to protect workers' rights and ensure basic social security. It is inspired by Rajasthan law and includes grievance redressal mechanism and prevention of illegal termination. the Bill promises welfare board, fund for gig workers. Discussions have been held with major platforms and International Labour Organisation for input.
Karnataka plans to levy cess on online transactions to fund welfare of gig workers
The State Government plans to levy a cess on online transactions to fund the welfare of gig workers. The government will introduce the Platform-Based Gig Workers Fund and Welfare Fee Bill to provide livelihood security and insurance. Bengaluru has an estimated 200,000 plus gig workers.
Karnataka: Stakeholders pitch in with suggestions on unorganised and gig workers’ welfare Bill
The Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) met with additional labour commissioner Manjunath Gangadhara, to present its inputs for the upcoming Bill on gig and platform workers' welfare. The new Bill seeks to regulate workers' service conditions and create a fund by setting up a Gig and Platform Workers Welfare Board, said Gangadhara.
Karnataka: Unorganised and gig workers’ welfare bill likely in next assembly session
The Labour department plans to place the Bill before the Legislature at its next session, hoping to implement it from the next financial year, sources in the government told ET. The Bill would also encompass the entire sector instead of just focusing on gig and platform workers.
Karnataka rolls out Rs 4 lakh insurance cover to gig workers
Karnataka's Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has announced the implementation of an insurance cover worth Rs 4 lakh for each gig worker in the state. The scheme will cover approximately 2.3 lakh gig workers and aims to provide social security to those in the unorganized sector, such as delivery personnel for companies like Swiggy and Zomato. This announcement fulfills a vow made during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jogo yatra. The Congress had promised in its manifesto to establish a gig workers' welfare board and ensure a minimum hourly wage for workers in the unorganized sector.
India's digital economy creates a new vote bank all parties want to woo
The rise of the gig economy during the pandemic has created a new politically significant vote bank in India. Gig workers, often young and uninsured, have become a cohesive voting bloc, with grievances that political parties are now starting to address. Measures to protect the welfare of gig workers have already been taken in Rajasthan and Karnataka, with the Congress party and Narendra Modi's government pledging social security and insurance benefits.
IT sector driving demand for high-skilled gig workers: Survey
As companies face the brunt of cost optimisation, the gig economy has emerged as a vital solution to variabilise their fixed costs while working with a highly-skilled workforce on a project or milestone basis. Data from Layoffs.fyi reveals that in 2022 alone, 1,64,709 employees were laid off by 1058 tech companies, with more than 2 lakh employees globally facing the same fate in 800 tech companies.
Karnataka budget: Gig workers to have Rs 4 lakh insurance cover
The state will pay the entire premium for the scheme under which workers will get a life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and accidental cover of Rs 2 lakh, chief minister Siddaramaiah said while presenting the state budget.
Rahul Gandhi meets gig workers in Bengaluru, takes a scooter ride with delivery agent
Gandhi who sat down for Dosas in Bengaluru's Airlines Hotel, discussed the workers’ lives, asking them about their difficulties with rising prices and lack of stable employment. In its manifesto, the Congress party has promised to set up a gig workers’ welfare board and to ensure minimum hourly wage for workers in the unorganised sector.
Eight in 10 delivery partners prefer local language for speaking while delivering orders: Survey
The report finds that 38% of gig workers have passed 12th standard, and 29% are graduates with degrees in B.Com, B.A. or B.Sc. Some workers are currently pursuing M.Sc, MCA or have left the course mid-way. Industrial Training Institute (ITI) has also seen participation in its courses from gig partners.
Youth participation in gig economy increases 8-fold: Taskmo Report
Youth participation in the gig economy has increased 8-fold between 2019 and 2022, according to a research report released by Taskmo. The research by Taskmo, an on-demand gig tech platform, highlights preferences of youth in the age group of 16 to 23 years.
Contract hiring for gig workers jumps before festive season: Report
As per the report, five lakh gig jobs were offered in June in comparison to 3 lakh gig work in May this year as fintech and e-commerce companies started early preparations for the upcoming festive season.
90% gig workers earn below Rs 15,000 post-lockdown: Study
Gig economy workers in ride-hailing, delivery and cleaning segments have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, with 81% of them facing sharp declines in their incomes.
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