Presentation short abstract

Digitalisation is transforming both markets and government in India, alongside rapid urbanisation and persistent informality. This study examines how workers in the informal economy navigate this changing landscape, with a focus on two occupational groups, street vendors and waste pickers.

Presentation long abstract

Digitalisation has transformed both markets and government in India. This shift has occurred alongside rapid urbanisation and persistent informality. While there is growing interest in its implications for urban governance, labour markets and social structures, less is known about how workers in the informal economy are navigating this changing landscape. This study focuses on two such groups, street vendors and waste pickers. Street vendors occupy a unique position with legal recognition under the 2014 Street Vendors Act but continue to face constant harassment and displacement. In contrast, waste pickers are acknowledged under the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules, but lack statutory protections and are excluded from formal waste management systems.

This paper examines how digital infrastructures interact with workers’ integration into urban planning, policy and legal status, to shape their access to space, livelihoods, and social protection. A survey of workers across Delhi and Ghaziabad is complemented by interviews with stakeholders including government entities, unions and CSOs to provide systemic perspectives.

The findings highlight the importance of a rights-based approach for formalization and digitalisation in India. The effectiveness of digital tools depends not only on their design and implementation, but also critically, on the legal and institutional systems that accompany them. The lack of legal recognition and collective action are key barriers for waste pickers. Specific challenges in the effective leveraging digital initiatives for both occupational groups include low digital literacy, low awareness, lack of continued assistance, fragmented implementation, adverse impacts of registration targets, and rent-seeking behaviour by authorities.