Precarity and Possibility: Rethinking Definitions, Classification, and Policy
Lessons from Kerala’s Experience in India’s Gig Economy

Prisha Jigarkumar Shah

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.015

Title: Precarity and Possibility: Rethinking Definitions, Classification, and Policy Lessons from Kerala’s Experience in India’s Gig Economy
Authors: Prisha Jigarkumar Shah
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 10 Issue: 9 Publication Date: September 2025 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.015
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Prisha Jigarkumar Shah Gems Modern Academy, Dubai
MLA 8 Shah, Prisha Jigarkumar. "Precarity and Possibility: Rethinking Definitions, Classification, and Policy Lessons from Kerala’s Experience in India’s Gig Economy." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 10, no. 9, Sept. 2025, pp. 3890-3908, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.015. Accessed Sept. 2025. APA 6 Shah, P. (2025, September). Precarity and Possibility: Rethinking Definitions, Classification, and Policy Lessons from Kerala’s Experience in India’s Gig Economy. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 10(9), 3890-3908. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.015 Chicago Shah, Prisha Jigarkumar. "Precarity and Possibility: Rethinking Definitions, Classification, and Policy Lessons from Kerala’s Experience in India’s Gig Economy." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 10, no. 9 (September 2025), 3890-3908. Accessed September, 2025. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.015.
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ABSTRACT: The rise of gig work in India has drawn a growing share of the labour force into roles distinct from traditional employer–employee arrangements. Typically mediated through digital platforms, gig work is characterised by short-term contracts, task-based engagements, and flexible work structures. Yet the absence of definitional clarity has hindered efforts to analyse its scale and assess the associated precarity. This paper conducts a systematic review of the literature to identify a definition that encompasses the key features of gig work, providing a stronger analytical basis for evaluating its vulnerabilities. It further proposes a classification of gig work types to enable more precise estimation of precarity across segments of the workforce. The paper also examines the role of upskilling as a strategy to reduce vulnerability and enhance employment outcomes in the gig economy. In particular, it evaluates the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission as a policy intervention addressing structural unemployment through skill development. Findings suggest that higher-skilled workers face lower levels of precarity, and that a mix of large-scale government initiatives and private-sector implementation through franchise models can offer a sustainable pathway for improving employment security in the rapidly evolving landscape of gig work.

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