The gig economy’s tyranny of targets

Be your boss, manage your time, earn your money, endure financial stress, loneliness and uncertainty

11.15 a.m. The sun is exceptionally unforgiving on this muggy August morning in Delhi after a couple of days of rain. Pankaj, who asked to be identified only by his first name, is driving around in his Toyota, yawning. The car’s air conditioning is off and windows rolled down. He splashes water on his face to fight sleep. It’s been a 14-hour shift, the last 30 minutes without a passenger. Pankaj needs one more ride to complete his weekly target and get a cash incentive, which he missed last week.

He had driven around Delhi in loops; around the railway …

Author

Pradip K. Saha

Pradip is a co-founder at The Morning Context and leads our newsletters vertical. He has previously worked at The Ken as a staff writer, at Mint as an assistant features editor and the Deccan Chronicle as a copy editor. He works with a slew of expert newsletter writers across subjects and domains. His own writing spans the gig economy, farmers caught in the crossfire of technology, global warming and parents trapped in the edtech wave. Some of his best stories have come at the intersection of technology and human endeavour.

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pradip@mailtmc.com

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