The gig economy is real, to create 2.1 million jobs by 2019-end: BetterPlace

The song ‘Blue Collar Man’, by the band Styx, was about the hardships faced by the working class in the US, but what about the blue-collar workforce in India?

Also read: Zomato launches experience centre for delivery partners

At the 'Aseem' event, organised by BetterPlace, unicorns like Ola, Flipkart, and Zomato celebrated the spirit of their blue-collar workforce.

BetterPlace also released its “Blue-collar workers in 2019” report on the state of blue-collar jobs in the country. The report says 40 percent of blue-collar jobs in India will be created in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telengana.

The report also states that Maharashtra leads the number of blue-collar jobs - at 400,000 - closely followed by Karnataka with 300,000 jobs. It adds that in the next 12 months, 1.4 million gig economy jobs for the blue-collar workforce would be created. An additional 800,000 jobs will also be created in the logistics sector.

BetterPlace aims to use technology to map blue-collar jobs and match the requirements of companies with people with data-led interventions. It is a platform that helps companies and workers connect with each other. Companies like Zomato and Flipkart source their blue-collar workerforce from BetterPlace.

Zomato works with 25,000 blue-collar workers every day, while Ola has close to 5.5 lakh driver partners. Similarly, Flipkart has a huge blue-collar workforce as well. Says Pravin Agarwala, Co-founder of BetterPlace,

“People are actually in need of a platform where they can receive all forms of services - financial and healthcare. Our app will be a feature-phone type service, offering all information on a call and is also an app that can enable blue-collar workers secure their finances.”

The company is also planning to launch 31 experience centres where blue-collar workers can get guidance to find a job, as well as financial and healthcare services. Other services planned are,

• BetterPlace will work with companies to process salaries through automated payroll processing. Attendance will be mapped with facial recognition, and salaries will be disbursed directly to an employee's bank account.
• The BetterPlace app allows workers to transfer money to their loved ones, aiming to be a one-stop-shop for credit and insurance needs.
• A 24-hour telemedicine service, and insurance service will be provided to workers for an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh upon paying Rs 50 per month.

Saurabh Tandon, Co-founder of BetterPlace says,

“The idea is to build their (workers') credit history so that formal financial access can be opened up for this population, which is currently not being served at all. We are in the process of providing them formal credit access, which is one of the top three aspirations of these workers.”

At the event, Lal Saab, who worked as a security guard in Sodexo and Toyota, announced he had cleared his state exams in Karnataka, and was now waiting to become a Tahsildar. “I never gave up studying although I worked as a security guard. I was fortunate to have a good boss who supported me to do big things,” he said.

Also read: Blue collar workers’ lifecycle management firm, BetterPlace raises $3 M