Not Just Hustling—Ruling It: How Gen Z and Millennials Are Redefining India’s Gig Economy.
Every morning at 6 a.m., 22-year-old Rakesh logs into his delivery app, zipping through the streets of Delhi on his scooter—his office is the road, his boss is an algorithm, and his paycheck depends on hustle. He’s part of a silent revolution sweeping across India: the gig economy. Powered by smartphones, digital payments, and the sheer ambition of youth, millions like Rakesh are redefining what work looks like in the 21st century.
India’s workforce is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by its young population—especially Gen Z and Millennials—who are reshaping the way work is defined, delivered, and distributed.
Meraqui doesn’t just observe workforce trends — we decode them into actionable insights that empower organizations to stay ahead of the curve. Among the most game-changing shifts today is the meteoric rise of the gig economy, driven by the energy, ambition, and digital fluency of Gen Z and Millennials.
What Is the Gig Economy?
The gig economy isn’t just a trend—it’s a new way of life for millions of young Indians. Whether it’s a delivery rider navigating busy city lanes, a freelance designer working from a café, or a technician fixing appliances on-demand, gig work is reshaping how work is found, done, and valued.
Across sectors like logistics, retail, digital services, and field operations, platform-based jobs are unlocking flexibility and opportunity like never before. In 2020–21, over 7.7 million Indians were part of this workforce, and by 2030, that number is expected to triple to 23.5 million (NITI Aayog).
This shift is powered by a young, tech-savvy generation—especially Gen Z—who value freedom, digital convenience, and meaningful work over traditional 9-to-5 setups. With smartphones in hand and UPI just a tap away, gig work is no longer just a backup plan. For many, it’s the first choice—and a bold one at that.
Gen Z vs Millennials: Who's Leading the Gig Charge?
Millennials (born 1981–1996) were the original catalysts of the gig economy. As digital platforms began to rise in the 2010s, they jumped at opportunities offering flexibility, side income, and autonomy. They brought maturity, tech adaptability, and a willingness to hustle — making gig work mainstream.
Gen Z (born after 1997), however, are digital natives who grew up in an app-driven world. Their entry into the workforce has accelerated the gig trend with new energy. Unlike Millennials who often used gig work as a side hustle, Gen Z is choosing it as a primary career path — prioritizing purpose, flexibility, and freedom over stability.
🔹 Millennials: Gig work as income booster
🔹 Gen Z: Gig work as lifestyle choice
Millennials, who first embraced the shift, and Gen Z, who are now taking it to new heights.
At Meraqui, we see a clear rise in full-time gig engagement from youth aged 18–25, particularly in last-mile delivery, data labeling, content creation, and field activation roles.
Youth Effectiveness: Skill, Speed, and Scale
Today’s youth — especially those from Tier 2 and 3 cities — are more skilled, adaptable, and digitally connected than ever before. They are quick learners, thrive on short-term project-based work, and are comfortable with tech-first platforms like Meraqui’s job-matching engine.
Youth bring to the table:
They are indispensable to India’s hyperlocal delivery, field sales, remote ops, and smart logistics networks.
Gender Ratio: The Male-Female Divide
While the gig economy has opened new avenues for flexible work, a noticeable gender gap still exists. Men continue to dominate many gig roles, particularly those involving physical or field-based tasks. Yet, change is quietly unfolding. More women are stepping into digital, remote, and service-oriented gigs—roles that offer flexibility, autonomy, and balance.
Despite this, female participation has nearly doubled—platforms like GigIndia saw women rise from 12% to nearly 47% in six months .
👨 Male: ~68% of youth gig workers
👩 Female: ~32%, with 3X growth in the past 2 years
Barriers like mobility, safety, and digital access still exist — but the gig economy is offering more entry points for women than traditional full-time employment.
Economy & Infrastructure: Youth are Building the New India
India’s youth are not just participants in the workforce—they are active builders of its economic and digital infrastructure. From powering last-mile logistics and field operations to enabling digital services and platform-based models, young workers are driving innovation on the ground. Their adaptability, tech-savviness, and hunger for opportunity are shaping a more connected, efficient, and future-ready India. This generation is laying the foundation for a new economy—agile, inclusive, and driven by purpose.
💼 Economy & Infrastructure: Youth at the Helm
India’s gig economy is undergoing explosive growth—projected to reach $455 billion by 2024, contributing nearly 1.25% of the GDP. This surge isn’t just economic; it’s deeply demographic. With the gig workforce expected to reach 23.5 million by 2029–30 (NITI Aayog), India’s youth—especially Gen Z—are emerging as the architects of this transformation.
From hyperlocal services and logistics to digital operations like content creation, customer support, and data labeling, young Indians are actively shaping the country’s gig infrastructure. What makes this scale possible is India’s unique digital ecosystem—built to meet the youth’s demand for flexible, fast, and accessible earning models.
India’s gig economy growth is deeply supported by digital-first tools that empower youth to access work, receive payments, and manage tasks seamlessly from anywhere. Unlike many countries, India offers an inclusive, mobile-only model that is fully aligned with how the next generation works.
Key enablers include:
This is not just a digital revolution—it’s a youth-powered employment engine that’s uniquely Indian in design, scale, and impact.
Final Thoughts: Gen Z is Not Waiting
Millennials adapted to the gig economy. Gen Z is owning it.
They’re not waiting for opportunities—they’re forging their own paths. They’re not knocking on doors—they’re creating new entrances. The future isn’t coming. It’s already out for delivery—and Gen Z is the one handing over the parcel.
At Meraqui, we see this every day — from onboarding 19-year-old gig workers in rural Gujarat to managing a project team of 23-year-old micro-influencers from Pune. Youth are not only participating in the economy — they are actively redefining it.
The future of work isn’t coming—it’s here. And it’s being delivered by India’s youth—fast, flexible, and fearless.
About Meraqui:
Meraqui is India’s leading Work-as-a-Service (WaaS) and HRTech platform, connecting businesses with skilled gig, frontline, and blue-collar talent—on demand, at speed, and at scale.
We bridge the gap between workforce demand and youth employability by combining smart technology, deep domain expertise, and localized execution.
Why Meraqui?
🔹 Tech-Driven Hiring: Fast, seamless onboarding and compliance through our proprietary platform
🔹 Pan-India Presence: From metros to rural clusters—we deliver wherever you need talent
🔹 Youth-Focused Approach: Work models built around the aspirations of Gen Z and Millennials
🔹 Speed and Scale: 200K+ workers deployed for 100+ clients within 48 hours
🔹 Compliance-First: 100% statutory and operational transparency
Our Mission:
From Skills to Scale We empower India’s youth with real opportunities, immediate income, and future-ready skills—transforming job seekers into job shapers.
👉 Let’s build your workforce of tomorrow.
📧 contact@meraqui.com | 🌐 www.meraqui.com 📱 Follow us: LinkedIn – Meraqui