Seema Kumri, a young woman from Noida near Delhi, arrives at her workplace on a Tuesday wearing a violet T-shirt. She begins her work right away. In less than one hour she has cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the balcony, arranged the beds and mopped the floor.
Moving from Informal to Digital Platforms
In India, for decades, workers who found work through their personal network. The majority of domestic workers in India received payments by cash and did not have contracts.
Startups are now changing this. Urban Company, Pronto and other platforms are helping to bring domestic services online. These platforms offer digital payment, quick bookings and fixed prices.
There is a huge market. India is home to around 30 millions domestic workers. Many of these women have limited employment options.
Pronto is a platform that claims to have experienced rapid growth. In just 10 months, it had reached 15 000 daily bookings. Delhi remains the most popular destination, followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
New pressures and better pay
Seema worked in a clothing factory. She made between 10 000 and 14 000 rupees a month. Her income increased by around 20,000 rupees after joining the platform.
She can now support two of her children.
The ratings she receives directly impact her work in the future. Low ratings can affect her ability to get booked.
The platform, unlike traditional jobs controls the work using algorithms.
These systems can assign tasks, monitor performance and even impose penalties.
The reality of traditional domestic work
Traditional domestic work is also fraught with problems, and not just those associated with platform work.
Many workers are left vulnerable by this lack of protection.
Is The New System Fair?
They are working to standardize this sector. The platforms provide digital payment, standard pricing, training and set standards.
Some workers will earn more money and have greater transparency as a result of these changes.
They also introduce strict supervision and put pressure on workers to keep high ratings.
It is a system that offers opportunities, but also brings up concerns over fairness and controls.
