“Is this Ms. Sunita speaking?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. After her quick confirmation, I explained that I was outside with her order—somewhere near the intersection of her residential colony, though the app’s location marker danced uncertainly on my screen. Minutes ticked by as I scanned the quiet streets in the dark. Then, movement caught my eye—a young woman in her mid-twenties came from a house just meters away. I raced my bike toward her. After a brief verification, the package changed hands, and just like that, my first delivery was complete.

The app chimed cheerfully as I hit “Delivered,” officially marking my entry into the gig economy. The reward for this 20-minute journey—from restaurant pickup to final handoff—flashed on my screen: 20 rupees ($0.23).

While conducting research on India’s rural employment guarantee program—a state-run, non-platform gig scheme—I had discovered an interesting pattern. Many rural youths who migrated to nearby cities for education and employment were moonlighting as gig workers for transportation and food delivery platforms. During my exploratory survey visits, I learned that these young workers often relied on family support that was sometimes coming from government welfare schemes to invest in the essential tools of the trade—smartphones and motorcycles.

Though tangential to my primary research, I was intrigued by the apparent ease of entry into the platform-based gig economy. Through conversations with rural youth, I learned that most discovered these opportunities through their social networks, friends and relatives already working in the sector. However, I found myself wanting to understand more—the nuanced incentive structures, the behind-the-scenes training materials, and the day-to-day app interactions that my interviewees couldn’t fully share due to privacy concerns. This curiosity led me to one conclusion: I would use the gap between my research project’s data collection rounds to become a food delivery worker myself.

India’s growing gig economy

According to a 2022 report from NITI Aayog, India’s gig economy has shown significant growth with 7.7 million gig workers in 2020–21, representing 1.5% of the total workforce, and is projected to reach 23.5 million workers by 2029–30. The retail trade sector leads with about 2.7 million workers (39% of the total gig workforce), followed by transportation with 1.3 million workers. Medium-skilled jobs constitute 47% of gig work, while high-skilled and low-skilled jobs account for 22% and 31%, respectively.

While 62.4% of gig workers operate in the unorganized sector, the organized sector’s share is growing. The sector’s employment elasticity remained above one from 2011–12 to 2019–20, indicating strong growth potential and increasing demand compared to traditional employment.

Registering with a food delivery app

My journey to becoming an app-based food delivery partner began with a simple download. After installing the platform’s app from the Play Store, I entered my mobile number and the subsequent password. Then came the first hurdle; the app asked me to download an external source file, triggering security warnings on my phone. Despite my hesitation, I proceeded with the installation, which added a white food delivery partner icon to my screen.

Kasim Saiyyad spent a week working as a delivery driver during a break in his doctoral fieldwork. (Photo provided)

Upon launching, the app’s permission requests were extensive. Location tracking, contacts, storage access, activity detection—it needed them all to function. Though cautious, I granted these permissions to move forward. The registration process continued with uploading my basic information, including bank details and a scanned copy of my Aadhaar card (India’s government-issued unique ID).

The final step involved entering my vehicle details and uploading a photo of my bike’s number plate, a surprisingly frustrating task that took five attempts to get right. What struck me as odd was the absence of any verification for crucial safety elements: no requirement for a driving license and not even a question about whether I owned a helmet. I suspected the loose safety protocols might be because I registered with an e-bike.

Before I could start delivering, there was one more requirement: a signup fee of 400 rupees ($4.60), plus 2,000 rupees ($23) for two branded t-shirts and a food delivery bag. The app offered to deduct the 2,000 rupees from my future earnings as an option.

Training and insurance

The successful registration took me to the training screen. It had numerous videos with titles like App Features, Live Orders, Support Tickets, Earn More, Insurance, Safety and Policy, Rain, Partner Cares, Corporate Fixed Deposits, Rain Surge Activation, etc. These videos were not in sequential order, and I could skip over any one at any time. They were available in many Indian languages, including English. I found the interface of the app clean and intuitive.

As a delivery partner, I received a medical insurance of 100,000 rupees ($1,150). It also included an outpatient coverage of 5,000 rupees ($58). In the event of an accident, it covers a rider’s vehicle and phone damage. The insurance would be activated once I finish two orders successfully.

Understanding the work structure

With registration complete, I explored the app’s gig tab, where available time slots were displayed, each promising different earning ranges. The slots were categorized as high earning, lunch, dinner, and late-night. Dinner and late-night offered better pay, suggesting higher order volumes during these times.

For my first experience, I chose an evening slot from 7–9 p.m. The app offered several customization options: setting a preferred order drop distance, blocking specific restaurants, and restricting deliveries to within my zone. I set my maximum delivery distance to 4 kilometers, though this proved ineffective when my second order required an 8-kilometer journey.

The app dangled incentives for meeting daily order and earning targets, but there was a catch: achieving these bonuses required logging lengthy shifts, often 6 to 10 hours. The system also had a stick to match the carrot—rejecting more than three orders during a gig would result in penalties.

The financial ecosystem

Under the app’s pocket tab, I received details about my earnings, including tips. It also allowed me to access a limited amount of money any time and offered me 1% cash back on selected gas outlets.

As there are earnings, there are numerous ways to spend in the app. Under the bazaar tab, you can purchase company-branded t-shirts, raincoats, sweatshirts, phone and bike accessories, etc. You can shop using your payouts. The app also sells corporate fixed-deposit bank accounts for many companies. It frequently sends notifications announcing new items and discounts to induce purchase behavior.

Daily challenges and technical hurdles

My experience as a delivery partner revealed that the job revolves heavily around app interactions. Beyond navigation, you’re constantly updating order statuses, messaging customers, and answering calls. The app becomes your constant companion, but not always a reliable one.

The navigation system has its quirks. City realities like closed roads and unexpected detours aren’t reflected in real-time, leading to longer delivery times that don’t translate to higher earnings. Under the platform’s “no-food-wastage” program, when an order gets canceled mid-delivery, you’re required to wait until the app’s algorithm matches the order to another customer, regardless of distance (though the app promises “revised earnings” based on the new route).

Limited access to basic sanitation facilities, no permission to use restaurant washrooms, and constant time pressure make each shift demanding.

Adding to these challenges are the numerous ghost kitchens operating without signage within homes deep inside residential areas. Finding these unmarked locations, even with the app’s navigation, often becomes a frustrating treasure hunt through narrow lanes and unnamed buildings

The technical demands take their toll. The app’s continuous location tracking drains your phone battery, while persistent notifications urge you to stay online. But the real challenges lie in the urban infrastructure, or lack thereof. Limited access to basic sanitation facilities, no permission to use restaurant washrooms, and constant time pressure make each shift demanding. While the platform provides resting points and shelters, these are often located far from typical delivery routes, making them impractical to use without risking delayed deliveries.

Despite the variety of available time slots, the app only allows you to book gigs three days in advance. This short planning window poses a significant challenge for workers juggling multiple jobs, a common reality for most gig workers trying to make ends meet.

Support system and monitoring

The app offers multiple support channels for its delivery partners. The support center lets you raise tickets for issues, while real-time customer care provides prompt solutions for immediate delivery problems. The company also assigns each partner a fleet coach for offline support.

These fleet coaches regularly reach out to delivery partners, with notifications about meeting venues and times sent a day or two in advance. While I never met my fleet coach in person, I received several calls, mostly inquiring about my limited online hours. This revealed a dual nature to the fleet coach system: while designed as a support mechanism, it also serves as a monitoring tool to encourage workers to stay online and increase their delivery counts.

Ground reality: voices from the community

During my deliveries, I often connected with other delivery workers, including those working for different platforms. These conversations, usually during offline moments or while waiting at restaurants, offered insights into their experiences.

Most partners admitted that they hadn’t watched all the training videos, though they understood the app’s basics well enough. Many had joined through referrals from friends and relatives, seeing it as a supplementary income source. The challenges they faced were universal across platforms: traffic congestion, difficult customers, uncooperative restaurant staff, inadequate compensation for big orders, and generally low earnings.

“There’s no respect in this job,” a 32-year-old partner confided in me. “My wife tells me to change into the company t-shirt midway, not wear it from home. People don’t talk nicely and sometimes create issues about payment.”

Safety concerns were prevalent. Many workers experienced minor road accidents during deliveries, and some admitted to running red lights to meet delivery times. Another common grievance was the lack of support for phone maintenance, despite the heavy reliance on personal devices for work.

Despite these challenges, the job’s flexibility and minimal barriers to entry made it an attractive option for many.

Dignity for essential workers

My experience as a food delivery partner revealed significant areas where the gig economy needs improvement. The most pressing needs include financial security through guaranteed minimum wages and transparent earnings calculations, better working conditions with adequate rest areas and safety protocols and enhanced technological infrastructure to address practical challenges, like battery drain and navigation accuracy. Social protection mechanisms, including clear dispute resolution channels and worker representation in decision-making processes, are essential. Additionally, comprehensive healthcare support and injury compensation should be standard provisions.

This immersive experience opened my eyes to the reality of life for India’s gig workers. Now, when I enjoy a hot meal at home, I better understand the complex web of challenges each delivery partner navigates to bring it to my doorstep hot and fresh. While the gig economy offers flexible employment, we need to look beyond this surface-level benefit. Despite recent improvements, much work remains to make this system sustainable for millions worldwide. These workers deserve more than just ratings; they need dignity, security, and recognition for their essential role in our increasingly connected world.

Kasim Saiyyad is a TCI scholar and PhD student in the field of applied economics and management.

Featured image: A food delivery worker sits on his motorcycle between deliveries. (Photo by Maneesh Upadhyay)