Each day, Alam, like many other riders, logs in to the app and books his work slots, also called “gig slots”.
The idea is simple – the more deliveries riders complete during those windows, the more “streak” incentives they unlock, boosting their pay and rewarding longer hours.
In December, Alam says he earned an additional 16,000 rupees through incentives alone. He completed more than 1,000 orders and worked 406 hours that month.
But this setup can unravel quickly for drivers.
Earlier this month, Alam’s phone was stolen mid-shift. He had already worked five consecutive days for more than 12 hours and was just two days away from earning another 5,000-rupee incentive. Without his phone, he could not log in and his streak reset instantly.
“I was sad for a few days,” Alam says. “But what can I do? At least I got the standard pay.”
This incentive structure is not unique to India, but it is intensified by labour availability and weak worker protections, says Vandana Vasudevan, a researcher and author of OTP Please! Online Buyers, Sellers and Gig Workers.
“These workers are classified as independent contractors, not salaried employees,” she says. “They have no social security or benefits, yet algorithms still control their work through ratings, penalties and pay.”
This pressure shows on the roads.