India's gig internet workforce is projected to nearly triple from approximately 60 lakh currently to between 1.7 crore and 2.1 crore monthly active workers by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24–29 per cent, according to a report released on Tuesday, 28 July by Redseer Strategy Consultants. The findings signal a structural shift in how India's non-farm labour market is being shaped by platform-based employment.

Scale of Growth and Sector Breakdown

Ride-hailing is forecast to dominate the gig economy by 2030, accounting for 1.2–1.4 crore workers, followed by delivery at 50–70 lakh and home services at 20,000–30,000 workers. The report projects that gig platforms could collectively meet nearly 70 per cent of India's annual non-farm job creation requirement — estimated at roughly 80 lakh jobs per year by 2030.

Notably, over 30 per cent of the projected gig workforce could be first-time labour market entrants, underscoring the sector's role as an on-ramp for workers with no prior formal employment history.

Earnings Data: Gig vs Formal Employment

The analysis, based on a survey of 2,250 gig workers, found that full-time gig workers earn up to 2.5 times more than peers in comparable formal and informal roles. Average hourly earnings for gig workers stood at ₹138, against ₹54 for comparable formal and informal workers.

Monthly net earnings varied significantly by segment: home services workers reported the highest take-home at ₹70,000–₹80,000 per month, while ride-hailing drivers earned ₹37,000–₹39,000 and delivery workers earned ₹22,000–₹23,000 monthly.

First-Time Workers and Livelihood Impact

The report found that nearly 54 per cent of current gig workers were not in paid employment before joining gig platforms — a figure that highlights how the sector is drawing in workers who were previously outside the formal or informal wage economy entirely.

Anil Kumar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Redseer Strategy Consultants, said: 'Over the past decade, Gig Internet has emerged as a critical pillar of the country's workforce. By connecting workers to flexible, on-demand earning opportunities at scale, these platforms have opened a new and accessible path to livelihood for India's formal and informal workforce.'

Skills and Future Prospects

Nearly 70 per cent of surveyed workers reported that gig work had improved their future employment prospects. Platforms were credited with building transferable skills including customer handling, navigation, and financial planning — competencies that workers said enhanced their broader employability.

This comes amid a wider policy debate in India over social security protections for gig workers, with the Centre yet to fully operationalise the gig and platform worker provisions under the Code on Social Security, 2020. As the sector scales toward 2 crore workers, the question of whether platform growth translates into durable livelihood security — not just earnings — will define its long-term impact.