India to Formally Track Gig and Platform Workers in Upcoming Labour Survey

NEW DELHI: In a significant move toward modernizing its labor statistics, India is set to include digital and platform-based workers in its upcoming annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), scheduled for 2026. This initiative marks the first time the country’s official statistical machinery will specifically identify and track the rapidly expanding gig economy.

For years, the government has struggled to accurately quantify the number of food delivery executives, ride-hailing drivers, and on-demand home service providers. While these individuals contribute significantly to the economy, they have historically been categorized under broader classifications such as self-employed, casual, or salaried workers within the PLFS framework.

Bridging the Data Gap

“In PLFS 2026, data on digital platform workers—a subset of gig workers—is being collected among the workers classified in the existing PLFS framework on an experimental basis,” a government official told the Times of India.

While these workers will remain within the overarching “self-employed” category for broad statistical purposes, the granular data collection will allow researchers to isolate them. The results, expected to be released in March 2027, will provide the first-ever official estimate of the size and scale of India’s gig workforce.

The move comes as the reliance on digital platforms grows exponentially. According to a study by the VV Giri National Labour Institute—which draws upon previous projections from NITI Aayog—the gig and platform workforce in India is expected to balloon to over 60 million by 2047. This figure would represent nearly 15% of the country’s total non-agricultural workforce.

Shaping Future Welfare Policy

Beyond simply counting the number of individuals involved, the 2026 survey aims to capture a comprehensive profile of the gig economy. This includes data on earnings, total working hours, and the specific conditions under which these individuals operate.

Experts believe this deep dive is essential for effective governance. By gaining a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by platform workers, the government aims to create targeted welfare policies. Furthermore, the data will be instrumental in the implementation of the Social Security Code, ensuring that these workers are better protected as they navigate an often precarious labor market.

As the gig economy becomes a structural pillar of India’s service sector, this upcoming labour survey represents a crucial step toward bringing millions of informal workers into the formal policy fold.