# Gig workers face hidden health crisis from skipped meals

2026-08-08T03:37:21+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Karnataka High Court declined to stay a law creating a welfare fund for app-based workers, but directed platforms like Zomato and Swiggy to deposit disputed fees since no scheme has been rolled out months after the law took effect. The court noted the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Act has yet to fund a single benefit. A Telangana Today opinion piece highlights that piece-rate pay structures incentivise workers to skip meals, leading to malnutrition, both underweight and obesity. NITI Aayog projects gig workers will rise from 7.7 million in 2020-21 to 23.5 million by 2029-30, but official labour surveys still do not track them as a distinct category.

## Coverage

- telanganatoday.com <https://telanganatoday.com/opinion-on-the-clock-off-the-grid-the-hidden-health-crisis-of-indias-gig-workers>

Tags: gig workers, Karnataka High Court, malnutrition, platform economy, welfare fund, worker health
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