The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said it will broaden the Periodic Labour Force Survey to include a distinct sampling category that captures digital platform workers, a move prompted by the survey’s prior inability to register enough such employees. Since January 2026, the government has been testing a separate module to track platform workers, but the pilot data revealed a significant under‑count, especially in rural areas where app‑based gigs are growing. The revised survey will ask an additional question in both rural and urban households to flag members who have worked through a digital platform during the reference period. This tweak comes amid estimates that India’s gig economy could swell to 2.35 crore workers by fiscal year 2030, vastly outpacing current counts.
NITI Aayog’s 2022 report pegged 68 lakh gig workers in FY20 and projected a 34‑fold jump by FY30. However, that figure is a projection, not a census, and does not account for the nuances between gig and platform workers.
Maharashtra tops the e‑Shram portal with 1.38 lakh registered platform workers, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1.34 lakh and Bihar at 1.12 lakh. West Bengal and Delhi registered 56,236 and 50,636, respectively, illustrating the uneven spread of app‑based employment across states.
The new sampling category will provide policymakers with accurate labour market data, enabling targeted support for platform workers who often lack formal protections. Implementation is slated for the 2027 survey cycle, with the first results expected in July 2027.