FPGWI Calls For Flexible, Growth-Oriented Gig Economy Framework In Telangana

Hyderabad, May 27 (KNN) The Forum For Progressive Gig Workers in India (FPGWI) has urged the Telangana government to adopt a balanced and growth-oriented approach while finalising the Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers Bill, 2026.

The forum has stressed the need to safeguard worker welfare without disrupting the flexibility and scalability of the platform economy.

In a representation submitted to the state government, the FPGWI welcomed Telangana’s initiative to formally recognise platform-based gig workers and establish a welfare framework for the sector.

The representation stated that Telangana has emerged as a major digital economy hub where platform-based services are creating flexible earning opportunities and supporting entrepreneurship, logistics efficiency and economic participation for a wide range of workers, including women, students, migrants and first-time job seekers.

K. Narsimhan, Convener, FPGWI, said Telangana has the opportunity to develop a model framework that balances worker welfare with innovation, flexibility and economic growth.

Forum Warns Against Traditional Employment-Style Rules

The forum cautioned that while social security and welfare protections are important policy objectives, an excessively prescriptive regulatory framework resembling traditional employment structures could adversely affect the operational flexibility that enables the gig economy to function efficiently at scale.

Among its recommendations, the forum urged the government to preserve the distinction between gig work and conventional employment relationships, as recognised under the Code on Social Security, 2020.

It also called for compliance obligations that are practical and proportionate to the realities of platform-based work, while avoiding duplication of mechanisms already covered under existing laws and institutional frameworks.

The representation further recommended the creation of a predictable and sustainable welfare contribution framework aligned with central legislation, alongside policies that encourage investment, innovation and continued expansion of digital platforms and earning opportunities across Telangana.

Call For Wider Stakeholder Consultations

The forum expressed concerns over provisions that resemble traditional employment structures, including fixed remuneration systems, mandatory notice periods, enquiry procedures and restrictions on operational flexibility.

According to the representation, such measures could create legal uncertainty and reduce the efficiency of platform-based services.

The forum emphasised that the objective should be to create a modern and flexible regulatory framework tailored to the evolving nature of platform work rather than applying conventional employment models to the gig economy.

It also urged the Telangana government to undertake wider stakeholder consultations before finalising the rules to ensure that the framework remains practical, implementable and supportive of long-term job creation and economic growth.

The forum reiterated its willingness to engage constructively with the government and participate in further policy discussions related to the regulation and welfare of gig workers in the state.

(KNN Bureau)