India had around 77 lakh gig workers in 2020-21, up from 68 lakh in 2019-20, constituting 2.6 per cent of the non-farm workforce, or 1.5 per cent of the total workforce, in the country, according to a report launched by federal think tank Niti Aayog Monday. 

The Ministry of Labour defines a gig worker as a person who engages in income-earning activities outside of a traditional employer-employee relationship and in the informal sector. A gig worker who uses platforms, such as websites or apps like Ola, Uber, Dunzo, Zomato, Swiggy or Urban Company, to connect with customers is called a platform worker.
Currently, there are severe data gaps in estimating the size of the gig economy in India. The Niti Aayog report has taken into account the limited data available on employment and other related aspects to estimate the size of the gig workforce by building on assumptions derived from micro and macro studies in the country. However, the report makes it clear that the estimation is only indicative and may not represent the actual size of the gig workforce.

The data gap is even though the "gig economy has proven its resilience and potential even in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic by continuing to unlock jobs in the millions and keeping communities connected", the report shows. But in the absence of regulation, gig workers are often at the receiving end of labour law violations. To address this, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has bought them under the new labour codes. The social security code has a separate category for gig workers. However, the labour codes have not been notified yet. Once reported, gig workers could avail various social security benefits.

The Aayog report 'India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy, has urged the government to ensure universal social security coverage to platform workers and give them sick leave, health cover and accidental insurance cover as is prevalent in other countries.