Industry Calls for Balanced, Future-Ready Framework for Telangana Gig Workers Bill
Hyderabad: The Progressive Gig Workers Forum in India, while finalizing the Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers Bill (2026), urged the Telangana Government to adopt a balanced, growth-oriented and future-ready regulatory approach, stressing the need to protect workers’ welfare without harming the flexibility and scalability that defines the platform economy.
In a presentation to the government, the forum welcomed Telangana’s progressive intention to recognize platform-based gig workers and create a welfare framework for the sector. Telangana has emerged as one of India’s leading digital economy hubs and the platform economy is playing a critical role in enabling flexible earning opportunities, entrepreneurship, logistics efficiency and economic inclusion for thousands of people, including women, students, migrants and first-time workers, the agency said.
“Telangana has the opportunity to create a model framework that balances employee well-being with innovation, flexibility, entrepreneurship and economic growth,” K. Narsimhan, Convener of Progressive Business Employees Forum in India, said at the representation. “While social security and worker welfare are important policy objectives, an overly prescriptive or employment-style regulatory framework could inadvertently disrupt the operational flexibility that enables the gig economy to operate effectively at scale.”
Key recommendations to the government included:
Maintaining the distinction between temporary work and traditional employment relationships recognized under the 2020 Social Security Law.
Ensuring compliance obligations remain practical, proportionate and in line with the realities of platform-based working.
Avoid duplication of regulatory mechanisms already included in existing laws and institutional frameworks.
To create a predictable and sustainable welfare contribution framework that is compatible with central legislation.
To foster continued investment, innovation, platform growth and earning opportunities in Telangana’s digital economy ecosystem.
The agency noted that some provisions resembling traditional employment structures, including fixed fee frameworks, notice periods, investigation processes and restrictions on operational flexibility, could create legal uncertainty and impact the efficiency of platform-based services.
He also emphasized that the aim should not be to organize the gig economy in a way similar to traditional employment relations, but to create a modern, flexible and sustainable framework suitable for the evolving nature of platform work.
The Agency also called on the Government to conduct wider stakeholder consultations before finalizing the Code to ensure that the framework remains practical, implementable and supportive of long-term economic growth and job creation.
The Forum reiterated their commitment to constructive engagement with the Government and expressed their willingness to support further consultation and policy debate on the issue.
