India's gig economy set to add 20 lakh jobs by 2026

Business Jan 08, 2026

Big changes are coming to India's gig economy—by 2026, platforms expect to hire around 20 lakh more workers.
This surge is fueled by the boom in same-day delivery and dark-store networks, with e-commerce growing fast (23% up yearly) and quick commerce orders more than doubling.

Non-metro cities drive the next wave

As metros level off, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are stepping up as new gig hotspots thanks to better logistics and digital adoption.
Plus, gig platforms are rolling out hybrid pay models (mixing base pay with incentives) and social security benefits under new rules—making gig work a bit more secure without losing its flexibility.