Asian Business Review · 16 Sep, 21:00 · Business briefing

India gig workers lack cover amidst rising safety risks

Recent reporting indicates that India’s expanding gig economy workforce faces significant gaps in safety coverage and social protection.

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

26%average salary uplift after a professional certificate

2.7xfaster promotion for certified professionals

71%of leaders prefer candidates who upskill continuously

20days to your first credential

The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Recent reporting indicates that India’s expanding gig economy workforce faces significant gaps in safety coverage and social protection. As digital platforms increasingly rely on contingent labour, workers encounter heightened occupational risks without adequate insurance or regulatory safeguards. This structural vulnerability highlights a critical disconnect between rapid technological adoption and labour welfare frameworks. The situation underscores the urgent need for comprehensive policy reform and corporate responsibility initiatives to address the precarious nature of non-standard employment arrangements across the sector.

Employer demand for Occupational Health And Safety skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This development signals a shift towards greater regulatory scrutiny of flexible work models. If you manage teams or develop labour strategies, understanding gig worker rights and safety protocols is now essential. Professionals in Human Resources and Compliance must anticipate stricter mandates regarding contractor classification and welfare provisions. You should prioritise skills in risk assessment and ethical workforce management to navigate these evolving legal landscapes. Consider upskilling in Occupational Health And Safety to advise organisations on protecting contingent staff. Additionally, expertise in Compliance And Governance will help you design robust frameworks that mitigate liability while maintaining operational agility. Proactively addressing these gaps positions you as a strategic asset in an increasingly regulated market.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Occupational Health And Safety, Compliance And Governance, Human Resources and Risk Management Strategies — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

Enrol in these
to benefit.

These programmes position you for exactly this shift — online, self-paced, and finishing with a verifiable certificate you can share the day you pass.