A Study on the Opportunities and Challenges of GIG Economy from the Perception of Platform Workers with Reference to Chennai City

Abstract

The emerging Digital transformation has been the ‘New normal’ in India after COVID-19. The modern era of digitalization in all sectors has encouraged the growth of business in online platforms. This has also paved way for a vibrant Gig economy and has created enormous opportunities for the Gig and platform workers. There has been a high demand and supply of GIG workers across the country post - pandemic. They meet the demands of various commercial activity across all economic sectors. The digital platforms have provided opportunities such as employment facilities with decent income, independent and flexible work time. The paper aims to understand the socio - economic conditions of platform workers and also focus on the areas that lay as a challenge confronted by the platform workers. They do not fit under the employer-employee category because the digital business platforms recruit them as independent contractors and freelancers. This causes huge risk for the platform workers as they lack job security, income consistency, social security, and institutional credit facilities. The study also aims to bridge the gap between opportunities and challenges in gig economy in India. The methodology adopted in the study is based on Random sampling of about 60 platform workers of different job natures which will identify and analyse the opportunities and challenges. The study uses IBM SPSS statistical data editor - version 1.0.0-51 program for Hypothesis testing using one way ANOVA.