Gig work freedom exploitation or a middle path

Why gig work divides scale jobs versus workers

Who is driving gig worker protections today

Efficiency versus worker welfare tradeoffs

Which gig worker demands fit market reality

How labour codes may reshape gig hiring

Will gig welfare costs hit customers prices

Key labour law grey areas platforms exploit

Why gig worker classification drives debate

Who gains from gig law ambiguity and who loses

What labour codes fix and what they allow here

Conclusion

Credits

India’s gig economy is at an inflection point. Sold as a model of flexibility and scale, it now finds itself under scrutiny as workers protest shrinking pay, rising pressure, and the absence of basic protections. This episode examines the deeper tensions powering India’s convenience economy between flexibility and dignity, efficiency and responsibility. At one end is a labour market flooded with millions of workers who struggle to find formal employment. At the other is a platform-driven system that relies on volatility, algorithmic control, and high churn to function. As gig work expands rapidly, questions around minimum earnings, accident cover, social security, and predictability have moved from the margins to the centre of policy debate. Host Neil Ghai talks to Kartik Narayan, CEO of apna.co and Anshul Prakash, Partner at Khaitan & Co as they dissect India’s new labour codes, which formally recognise gig workers but stop short of granting them full employment rights. With enforcement left largely to states, outcomes may vary sharply across the country.

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You can follow Neil Ghai on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes like: How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, India’s Labour Law Reboot, Viral to Valuation: Building Women’s Cricket as a Brand and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

India&rsquo;s gig economy is at an inflection point. Sold as a model of flexibility and scale, it now finds itself under scrutiny as workers protest shrinking pay, rising pressure, and the absence of basic protections. This episode examines the deeper tensions powering India&rsquo;s convenience economy between flexibility and dignity, efficiency and responsibility. At one end is a labour market flooded with millions of workers who struggle to find formal employment. At the other is a platform-driven system that relies on volatility, algorithmic control, and high churn to function. As gig work expands rapidly, questions around minimum earnings, accident cover, social security, and predictability have moved from the margins to the centre of policy debate. Host Neil Ghai talks to Kartik Narayan, CEO of apna.co and Anshul Prakash, Partner at Khaitan &amp; Co as they dissect India&rsquo;s new labour codes, which formally recognise gig workers but stop short of granting them full employment rights. With enforcement left largely to states, outcomes may vary sharply across the country. Listen in: You can follow Neil Ghai on his social media: <a href="https://x.com/GhaiNeil">X</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-ghai-090055227/">Linkedin </a>Check out other interesting episodes like: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000742733036">How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000740924439">How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000738734300">India&rsquo;s Labour Law Reboot</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000738205536">Viral to Valuation: Building Women&rsquo;s Cricket as a Brand</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">much more</a>.
Catch the latest episode of &lsquo;The Morning Brief&rsquo; on <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr">The Economic Times Online</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea"> Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief">Amazon Music</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts">Youtube</a>.

To make sense of the week’s hottest stories in business, economy, politics and markets, journalists from the Economic Times chat with reporters and industry leaders in this thrice-weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) podcast.

The Morning Brief

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