By Pradip Ninan Thomas
The Gig Economy in India explores the topic of gig work in India’s digital political economy, and the relationship between key factors such as start-ups, state governments, and platform providers.
The book begins by placing the gig economy in context, defining the platform ecosystem and the Indian government’s perception of its problems and opportunities. Thomas then examines the critical dimensions of the gig economy in India, from its data infrastructure capabilities, the enabling role of venture capitals and FinTech, to government regulations. Attention is paid to the precarity of gig labour, the vagaries of algorithmic management, and the minimal legal support available for workers. The book also includes chapters on labour resistance and highlights some of the issues related to the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Given the limited research on India as a case study, this volume fills a crucial gap in the literature. It will interest scholars in diverse fields such as business management, digital media, and communication studies.
Contents
Introduction: The Platform Economy in India
- India Stack, Techno-Optimism and Platform Contradictions
- The Governance/Mis-Governance of Start-Ups
- Venture Capitalism, Informality and the Gig Economy
- AI, Machine Learning and Gig Workers in India
- Resistance
- Cloud, Data Centres and the Politics of Infrastructure
- AI, Risk and The Gig Economy
Pradip Ninan Thomas is at the School of Arts and Communications at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is also a member of IAMCR.
The above text is from the publisher’s description of the book:
Title: The Gig Economy in India: Start-Ups, Infrastructure and Resistance
Author: Pradip Ninan Thomas
Published: 2024
Pages: 144
Publisher: Routledge