New Study Highlights Low Female Participation in India's Growing Gig Economy

NEW DELHI — India’s rapidly expanding gig economy, encompassing quick-commerce delivery services and ride-hailing platforms, is generating millions of job opportunities. However, a comprehensive new study reveals that women are largely missing from this workforce growth.

According to a report released on Monday by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), female workers remain underrepresented across companies such as Uber Technologies Inc., Swiggy Ltd., and Urban Company Ltd. While Indian women have achieved near-parity with men in accessing basic bank accounts, that financial inclusion has not effectively translated into participation in the digital economy.

Researchers identified several primary factors holding women back, including gaps in digital skills, mobility and safety concerns, and prevailing social norms. These barriers persist despite the significant economic stakes for India, an economy that has historically struggled to integrate more women into its formal and informal workforce.

ILO estimates compiled by the World Bank place India’s female labor-force participation rate at approximately 32 percent in 2025, compared to nearly 78 percent for men. World Bank projections indicate that raising female workforce participation to 50 percent could add roughly one percentage point to India's annual economic growth, potentially supporting the nation's goal of achieving developed economy status by 2047.

Government estimates further predict that the number of gig workers in India will nearly double to 23.5 million by the 2029-30 fiscal year, contributing ₹2.35 lakh crore ($24.5 billion) to the country's annual economic output.

The ILO and NCAER report emphasizes that addressing this disparity is a critical social and economic imperative. "Evidence suggests that women remain under-represented and unevenly distributed across the app-based ecosystem," the researchers noted, adding that improving inclusion acts as a catalyst for long-term women's empowerment and inclusive national growth.

Underpinning the gender gap in gig work are broader technological and financial divides. A 2025 government study cited in the report found that only 56.2 percent of Indian women aged 15 and above own a mobile phone, and just 37 percent possess the capability to perform online banking transactions independently. These shortfalls restrict women from accessing digital earning platforms.

While this challenge is not unique to India, certain gender gaps remain wider domestically. In 2024, 32 percent of men in India maintained a digital banking account, compared to just 14 percent of women—a gender divide three times larger than the global average.

Despite these hurdles, the report notes that gig work offers potential solutions for improving financial inclusion. Digital earning records can provide banks with verifiable income proof when assessing women for loans, bypassing the traditional requirement for property or other collateral. Furthermore, these verified earnings histories could simplify the provision of insurance, savings plans, and pensions for female workers.

"The findings from the ILO and NCAER study highlight a critical structural gap in India's digital labor market. While the gig economy is scaling rapidly, platforms and policymakers must proactively address foundational challenges such as digital literacy, mobile ownership, and safety. Bridging this gender divide is not just a social objective, but a necessary economic strategy to unlock substantial productivity gains and support India's long-term growth targets." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes