International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Revisiting Ambedkar’s Vision of Economic Democracy: A Critical Analysis of India’s Gig-Economy in the 21st Century

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s vision of economic democracy rooted in equality, dignity, and the right to secure and meaningful work to critically analyse the conditions of India’s growing platform-based workforce. The rise of India’s gig economy in the 21st century has redefined the nature of labour, generated new opportunities while simultaneously produced unprecedented forms of precarity and exclusion. This study uses Ambedkar’s principles of social justice, state responsibility, and labour protection to examine how food delivery agents, ride-hailing drivers, hyperlocal service providers, and other gig workers navigate an ecosystem shaped by algorithmic management, unstable income, and lack of social security. The study argues that operationalising Ambedkar’s vision requires a framework based on right that includes universal social protection, collective bargaining mechanisms, algorithmic transparency, and legal recognition of gig workers as employees. The findings reveal significant gaps in regulation, widespread informalisation, and persistent vulnerabilities representing the very labour conditions Ambedkar sought to reform. This article offers a critical and timely contribution to understanding the socio-economic implications of platform work in India’s digital era.