Durga Puja through the eyes of Kolkata’s gig workers

When the city lights up for Durga Puja, pandals fill with visitors and families step out to seek the blessings of the Goddess, a group of workers continues to navigate the streets. Some carry food packets, while others race to fulfil online orders. Their working hours are rarely fixed, and there is no guarantee of time off, even during festivals. Between the pressure of meeting delivery targets, the need to earn more and their families’ expectations, they must constantly strike a balance. They are gig workers, many of whom provide food and product delivery or transport services through online platforms.

For them, the four days of Durga Puja are not just a festival but also an opportunity to earn extra money. But how much of their personal happiness must they sacrifice to make those additional earnings? Conversations with gig workers in Kolkata reveal a reality in which the joy of the festival is accompanied by long working hours, uncertain earnings, pressure to comply with company rules and the responsibility of providing their families with a better life.

Sourav Das

Sourav Das, a gig worker, says the workload increases during Puja. Although the number of orders rises, traffic congestion and crowded streets make it difficult to deliver them on time. He therefore tries to start work as early in the day as possible, hoping to leave himself some time to go out and enjoy the festivities later.

However, this is not always easy. Sourav says he is expected to report for work regularly and fears that prolonged absence could lead to his account being deactivated by the company.

For him, the challenge is to balance work with his personal life. Although gig work is often associated with flexibility, he says that freedom does not always translate into reality.

Biswajit Naskar

Biswajit Naskar, a product delivery worker with Blinkit, describes a similar experience.

According to him, some companies impose mandatory log-in requirements during the festive season. Earnings during the rest of the year are often insufficient to meet family expectations. The additional orders during Puja, however, offer an opportunity to earn extra money and buy things for the family. As a result, even those who want to take time off often find it difficult to stop working.

Biswajit lives with his mother, father and grandmother. His father earns a living by driving a toto, an electric three-wheeler. As his father grows older, Biswajit does not want to place additional financial pressure on him. This makes the extra income he can earn during Puja particularly important.

The increase in online food orders during the festive season adds to gig workers’ workload. Many people return home after visiting pandals and order food online, while others rely on delivery services instead of cooking. Consequently, delivery workers remain busy not only during the day but also late into the night.

Ranjit Mitra

Ranjit Mitra says that during Puja, he sometimes works for as long as 14 to 16 hours a day. There are virtually no fixed working hours. Although he occasionally manages to spend some time with his family, securing even a single full day off during the five-day festive period is uncertain.

He explains that failing to work during designated slots can reduce the incentives he receives. Taking a break, therefore, comes with the risk of losing part of his earnings.

This raises an important question about the gig economy. Work on digital platforms is often presented as an independent and flexible form of employment. But how much control do workers actually have over their time? Although apps may allow them to choose when to work, if their earnings and incentives depend on working at specific times, how much freedom do they really have?

Sonam Sau

Sonam Sau, a food delivery worker from Behala, offers another perspective on this reality. His working day begins at 11 am and, on many occasions, continues until 3.30 am. During Puja, the increased workload leaves him with even less time to spend with his family.

Sonam says that by the time he returns home after working long hours, he is often too exhausted to feel like going out to see the pandals. On some days, he reaches home at 3 am or 3.30 am, rests for a while and then heads out with his children. On other days, fatigue forces him to abandon those plans.

He has a son and a daughter and, like other parents, wants to take them out and help them enjoy the festivities. However, the demands of work and the needs of his household repeatedly push those plans aside.

Sonam explains that earning a little extra during Puja allows him to do something special for his children after spending the rest of the year working to support his family. That is why he continues to work even during the festival.

For gig workers, the question of celebrating Puja goes beyond whether they get a day off. It also involves the struggle to balance the desire to spend time with their families, the wish to make their children happy and the financial demands of running a household.

To understand the realities of gig work, it is important to examine the broader employment landscape in India.

According to the Union Government’s Economic Survey 2025–26, the number of gig workers in India increased from 7.7 million in the 2020–21 financial year to approximately 12 million in 2024–25. This represents a rise of around 55 per cent over four years. Gig workers now account for more than 2 per cent of the country’s workforce. By 2029–30, they are projected to make up 6.7 per cent of the workforce in non-agricultural sectors.

This growth has been driven by the expansion of online shopping, food delivery, transport services and digital platforms. As smartphone usage and digital payments have become more widespread, demand for these services has also increased. However, the gig economy extends beyond food and product delivery, with such forms of employment expanding across transport, logistics, retail and several other sectors.

The appeal of gig work is often attributed to the promise of flexibility, the freedom to choose working hours and the possibility of entering the workforce quickly. Yet workers are not always driven by the desire for independence. For many, gig work is primarily a means of supporting their families.

A study by research organisation insight analysed data from 2,547 delivery workers associated with a digital platform in India. It found that 57 per cent of respondents identified the need to meet household expenses as their primary reason for joining the gig economy. Another 14 per cent said they had taken up such work in the hope of earning more than they did in their previous jobs, while 6 per cent cited flexible working hours.

The study also highlighted the gap between gross earnings and the money workers actually take home. Drivers who worked more than eight hours a day earned an average gross monthly income of Rs 27,814. However, after deducting expenses such as fuel and vehicle maintenance, their average monthly earnings fell to Rs 18,761.

In other words, around 32 per cent of their gross earnings went towards work-related expenses. These drivers worked an average of 62 hours a week.

However, these figures are based on a study of workers associated with a particular platform and should not be taken as representative of every gig worker in India.

As the gig economy expands, questions about working conditions have also gained prominence.

In its Fairwork India Ratings 2024, researchers from the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) and the Oxford Internet Institute assessed the working conditions offered by 11 digital platforms. Their evaluation focused on five key areas: fair pay, working conditions, contractual terms, fair management and workers’ representation.

The report found that none of the platforms scored more than six out of 10. Only two platforms provided evidence of policies intended to ensure that workers earned at least the equivalent of the local minimum wage after work-related expenses had been deducted.

The findings do not mean that every worker on every platform experiences the same conditions. However, they highlight concerns about workers’ actual earnings, workplace safety and their relationship with the companies through which they obtain work.

Ranjit Mitra’s account, shared in a conversation with Inscript, reflects similar concerns.

He says it is difficult to run a household on the earnings he receives throughout the year. Therefore, when the number of orders rises during Puja, he tries to take on additional work to earn some extra money. At the same time, he believes companies could do more to improve the benefits and facilities available to workers.

One of the most frequently advertised advantages of gig work is the ability to work at a time that suits the individual. However, the experiences of Sourav, Biswajit and Ranjit suggest that this freedom can, in practice, depend heavily on earnings and the conditions imposed by platforms.

Sourav says he fears that prolonged absence from work could lead to his account being deactivated. Biswajit describes mandatory log-in requirements at some companies, while Ranjit says missing designated work slots can result in lower incentives.

These are the individual experiences and accounts of the workers interviewed; they do not establish that every company follows the same rules. Nevertheless, they raise an important question: if choosing not to work at a particular time comes at a financial cost, how much freedom do gig workers truly have?

The issue is also closely linked to social security.

India’s Code on Social Security, 2020, formally defined gig workers and platform workers and provided a framework for social security schemes covering areas such as life and accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, and old-age protection.

However, making provisions in law is not the same as ensuring that workers can access these benefits in practice. The demands placed on workers during busy periods such as Puja, the possibility of losing income when taking time off and the need for social security all underline the importance of ensuring fairer working conditions in the gig economy.

Ranjit also points to the challenges workers face outside their immediate working conditions.

He says they try to deliver services in all kinds of weather, whether in rain, sunshine or other adverse conditions. Yet, according to him, they sometimes encounter rude behaviour from customers. A simple thank you or a festive greeting from a customer can therefore make a difference to their day.

He also hopes that companies will show greater consideration for workers and introduce additional benefits to improve their working conditions.

For Sonam Sau, the joy of Puja lies in being able to spend some time outdoors with his children. Sourav wants the opportunity to celebrate the festival in his own way. Biswajit hopes to earn a little extra to provide for his family. Ranjit wants his long working hours to be matched by fair compensation and enough time to be with his loved ones.

It is important to acknowledge that the experiences of four workers may not represent those of every gig worker in West Bengal. Yet their accounts highlight a difficult reality: even during a festival, escaping the demands of work is not easy.

As demand for online services rises during Puja, the workers who deliver those services often find that their own celebrations depend on how much time they can spare between orders.

While the city immerses itself in the festive glow, these workers are not asking for much. They want to earn a little extra to support their families, spend some time with their loved ones, receive fair compensation for their work and be treated with respect.

The question is this: when a significant part of the city’s festive experience depends on the services these workers provide, should the responsibility for ensuring that they, too, can enjoy the festival rest solely on their own shoulders?