Gig Workers Got New Rights in 2026. Making Them Real Is Harder

India's gig workforce is set to grow from 7.7 million to 23.5 million by 2029-30, per NITI Aayog.

The Code on Social Security recognises gig workers and routes aggregator contributions into a welfare fund.

Real pain points remain: opaque pay algorithms, sudden deactivations, long hours and thin earnings.

Karnataka and Rajasthan have their own welfare-cess laws; Karnataka adds a right to refuse tasks.

Experts want algorithmic transparency, a real appeals process, and benefits that follow the worker.