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Paper short abstract:

My findings uncover intriguing insights into digital nomads' unique motivations, challenges, and experiences. Their experiences highlight the contrasts in a rapidly transforming India, where young people strive to adjust to the gig economy.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the Gig Economy in Delhi, concentrating on the community of digital nomads and their experiences with digital platforms. It is essential to comprehend how these nomads encounter precarity and are categorized as Independent Contractors rather than receiving workers' entitlements. In India, a developing country with a significant youth demographic seeking employment, individuals are increasingly drawn to this emerging sector, which, while appearing attractive from the outside, poses considerable challenges to survival.

The study primarily employs a qualitative methodology rooted in ethnographic research design. It adopts an Interpretive Approach to explore the existence of multiple realities and how individual experiences contribute to the formation of these realities. The research investigates the lived experiences of digital nomads, who are identified as gig workers or Independent Contractors/Freelancers. It scrutinizes how digital platforms create misleading perceptions of flexibility, suggesting that workers can set their schedules. Furthermore, the study explores the motivations, daily routines, challenges, socio-economic backgrounds, and work dynamics within the urban landscape.

It uncovers that the notions of “Flexibility” and “Autonomy” promoted by digital platforms do not ensure a stable salary for gig workers; compensation is contingent upon task completion. It highlights that these workers often engage with multiple platforms but risk account deactivation if they do not fulfill assigned tasks within specified deadlines. Additionally, their performance is judged based on customer ratings, leading to a perception of inconsideration from both Digital Platform Aggregators and customers. The findings underscore the country's need to prioritize gig workers' physical and mental well-being.