Trapped in the App Reality of app-based delivery work in city

 

 

In Nagpur, gig delivery work has silently shifted from being a flexible income option to becoming last resort of employment. While large metropolitan cities often present gig work as a choice or a means of passive income, delivery riders in Nagpur describe a far narrower set of options. The fear of account suspension or deactivation looms larger here, because alternative employment opportunities are scarce. Unlike major metro cities with a wider job market and higher white-collar absorption, Nagpur has a limited capacity to absorb educated or semi-skilled workers into stable, salaried roles. Formal employment opportunities are few, and the city’s economy continues to be dominated by informal and semi-formal labour. In this scenario, app-based delivery work has emerged as a default livelihood rather than a temporary arrangement for many. Several riders said their entry into delivery work was driven by circumstances rather than choice.

 

One delivery worker, an engineering graduate from Nagpur, said he was unable to find employment in his field despite repeated attempts. Coming from a financially vulnerable household, he turned to delivery work to support his family. Another rider had previously run a small kirana store in Manish Nagar, which shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following his father’s death during that period, delivery work became his only means of supporting his mother. This dependence has shaped how workers respond to conditions on the job. Riders reported earning around Rs 600 to Rs 700 per day, of which Rs 200 to Rs 250 goes into fuel and vehicle maintenance. Incentives require them to remain logged in for eight to nine hours and complete deliveries continuously. Earnings fluctuate, and there is no guaranteed income. Yet workers continue, aware that logging out even briefly can affect future earnings and algorithmic visibility.

 

The absence of safeguards becomes most visible when things go wrong. One rider recounted skidding during a monsoon delivery and suffering severe abrasions and muscle injuries. Though he avoided fractures, he was unable to work for several days and received no medical support or compensation. With no alternative employment available locally, he returned to work as soon as he was physically able. Another delivery worker spoke about a colleague who died in a road accident while making a late-night delivery nearly two years ago. Despite the existence of insurance policies on paper, the worker’s family reportedly received no payout, leaving behind a wife and two young children. For many riders in Nagpur, the lack of any physical grievance redressal mechanism deepens their vulnerability. Workers said there is no local office or help centre where they can go to report injuries, contest penalties, or raise complaints. All grievances are routed through apps, emails, or automated support systems, with little clarity on escalation. In the absence of a city-level authority or labour forum, riders said they are left to navigate disputes alone, reinforcing a sense that accountability exists only in one direction.

 

This insecurity is compounded by economic immobility. Many delivery workers come from financially vulnerable backgrounds and lack the resources to relocate to larger cities in search of better opportunities. Moving would require upfront expenses, social support, and employment certainty—none of which are accessible to them. As a result, workers remain tied to gig platforms despite dissatisfaction, knowing that leaving could mean unemployment altogether. Against this backdrop, public claims by platform leadership that the system is fundamentally fair and that workers participate by choice appear deeply disconnected from local realities. For delivery workers in Nagpur, gig work is less about flexibility and more about survival. The system may be driven by algorithms, but it is sustained by workers who have little room to exit, protest, or demand accountability. The question is no longer whether India’s gig economy delivers fast, but who pays the price for that speed.