Gig worker wages vs IT pay: The hypocrisy in India’s job market debate

I read with interest the opinion of Deepinder Goyal and Sanjeev Bikhchandani of Info Edge. Zomato is a listed company. All its financials are out in the open. Despite paying ‘low salaries’, quick commerce ‘Blinkit’ still lost Rs 929 crore in 2025 and Rs 156 crore in Q2 of 2026. It has a long journey ahead before becoming viable. They have to control costs while increasing margins. Else, the business model dies, taking along with it lakhs of jobs.

We are silent on the mature ITeS services companies such as Infosys, Wipro, and Tata Consultancy Services, which earn billions in profits by employing IT coolies while freezing the pay at Rs 30K a month (Source: Careers360) for about 20 years. Gig workers earn more than a fresher BTech earns even after spending 20 lakhs and 4 years of their life. The ITeS companies multiplied their profits 10X and employee count 3X, while the salary bill stagnated.

The rage when a young loss-making startup creates jobs and pays according to market conditions is manufactured. Because we see the gig workers every day. Transact every day. Faced them yesterday. We compare our privilege to their compulsions. That is ‘guilt’, as Depinder says. 

We also forget how they responded during Covid. Millions of workers retained their jobs despite a lockdown as they saved the entire food business from an imminent collapse. 

Many studies have shown that when a demographically targeted group benefits from raising the cost of an enterprise, employers respond by hiring less. When India expanded the maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, research showed a 4.6% drop in newly married women gaining employment. 

I always had a problem when those who got through the gate raised the cost so high that it closed the gates on others. Any forced increase will lead to reduced opportunities for others. We aren’t creating enough jobs. Government is failing the youth. The question before India is more jobs or more money for those who already have jobs? 

We all pass the buck when confronted with uneasy questions. Why don’t we add a decent tip because our heart beats for gig workers? How many of us pay a higher delivery charge if it has to be real quick? Do we pay minimum wages to domestic workers? Do we pay overtime to our drivers? 

I am against 10-minute delivery. No one dies if an order is delivered in 20 minutes. The quick commerce that monetises the urge and urgency of fickle people must stop. Charge a premium. Increase charges. Offer zero discounts if it is immediate. Make people pay. 

But at the same time, we need to look inward. Our urgency. We need to strike a balance between the companies, the business model, the gig workers and what we consumers are willing to pay. 

Stop confusing the market cap of Zomato with its profits! If the business isn’t profitable, everything evaporates. Let the business models succeed and mature, and we can have a better debate about job creation vs worker exploitation. For now, ask Infosys, TCS, Wipro, etc., as to why the fresher salary has been stuck at Rs 3.5 lakhs for 20 years.

(Maheshwer Peri is the Founder & Chairman of CAREERS360, India’s leading higher education discovery platform.)