India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

had 15 million independent workers or freelancers in 2020, with industries like IT, finance, HR and design hiring people on a project basis. 70 percent of freelancers from India reported working exclusively as freelancers, with 48 percent of them dedicating 30 hours or less per week to their work. In a report of ''(National Institution for Transforming India)''

NITI Aayog The NITI Aayog (; abbreviation for National Institution for Transforming India) serves as the apex public policy think tank of the Government of the Republic of India, and the nodal agency tasked with catalyzing economic development, and foste ...

has estimated that India’s gig workforce or Freelancing will grow to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. In 2020-21, it was at 77 lakh. Of this 26.6 lakh gig workers were from sales and retail trade. India’s young workforce is inclining toward

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

and contractual opportunities. Possessing one of the world’s highest youngest working populations, India has the potential to become the world’s largest freelance

gig economy The gig economy is the economic system by which a workforce of people (known as gig workers) engage in freelance and/or side-employment. Description The gig economy is composed of corporate entities, workers and consumers. The Internal Reve ...

Government

There was little effort from India's

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

towards assisting freelancers until in 2015 when it started the ''Digital India Platform (''DIP), an initiative to digitize all government documents and where freelancers are hired to perform the tasks. Anyone with computer knowledge, Internet access, and a valid Aadhar card would be eligible to apply for this freelance opportunity. More than 68% of freelancers depend upon social media to find suitable work opportunities Considering that the PM Modi’s Government has encouraged

entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entrepreneu ...

by launching multiple programs, such as

Skill India Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India is a campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is managed by the National Skills Development Corporation of India. Mission Skill India campaign was launched by Prime ...

and Startup India, it should now lend a helping hand and support the freelancer's community.

Female Indian freelance workers

Numerous highly educated women, holding masters and doctorate degrees in India who cannot pursue a regular occupation due to family and social obligations. Rather than cutting short their professional careers, these women often turn to freelancing. Although freelancing offers a flexible career option, the number of Indian women in freelancing remains comparatively smaller than their male counterparts. In a survey conducted by Payoneer, a payments services provider based in New York in 2015, only 22 percent of Indian freelancers are women. Not only this but the same report reveals that women are paid lesser than the men who freelance. While a male freelancer earns $19 per hour on an average, a female freelancer apparently earns $17 per hour for the same project.

Companies and freelancers

The distinct shifts in technology, culture, demographics, and professional needs and goals have driven companies to reassess their human resource policies to accommodate the burgeoning freelance economy. India has seen a significant increase in the freelance community, with a 46% rise in new freelancers from Q1 to Q2 in 2020, as reported by Times of India in 2022. These companies hire freelancers and independent consultants across various levels of management, including positions such as freelance CFOs who contribute to streamlining a company’s finances. According to industry estimates, hiring the services of an outsourced CFO can result in operational savings of 30 to 70 percent. Depending upon the nature of the job, fees can range from Rs. 30,000 to a few lakhs per month.Nilika Mehrotra (2013), Disability, gender and caste intersections in the Indian economy, in Sharon N. Barnartt, Barbara M. Altman (ed.) Disability and Intersecting Statuses (Research in Social Science and Disability, Volume 7) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 295 – 324

References

{{Reflist, 30em

Government

Female Indian freelance workers

Companies and freelancers

References

Further reading