India abstains on first binding gig worker labor standards at ILO

India on Friday abstained from a vote as the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Friday adopted the world's first binding labor standards for gig workers.

The UN agency passed the landmark agreement aimed at extending protections to millions of people working in sectors such as ride-hailing and food delivery.

India was among the 36 countries that abstained from the vote. India, along with Bangladesh and the United States, felt that the convention should be applied flexibly, depending on national contexts.

The ILO's Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention seeks to ensure fair pay, workplace safety, social security coverage and greater transparency for workers managed through digital platforms.

In the vote on employment standards convention, which included delegates representing governments, employers and workers:

406 members voted in favor (including the governments of Germany, China and France)

8 voted against (including the United States and New Zealand)

36 abstained (including Britain and ‌India)

The standards, however, still need ratification by governments, and then enforcement.

Share of gig workforce in India to than triple by 2030

Rights groups and trade unions welcomed the gig economy treaty. They say platform companies often classify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying minimum wages, healthcare and social security contributions.

According to a report by the Indian government released in January, India had 12 million gig workers in 2025. Their share of the workforce is expected to rise from just over 2% to 6.7% by 2029-30.

The report also said that 40% of gig workers earn below Rs. 15,000 (€136) per month.

Gig workers worldwide encounter exploitative work conditions

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Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said he had lodged a "strong protest" with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after three commercial vessels carrying Indian crew were attacked by the US Navy in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week.

Jaishankar said he reiterated to Rubio "India's strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners" in a post on X. "Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified," he wrote.

New Delhi also summoned a top US diplomat, the Charge de Affairs Jason Meeks, to protest the attacks on merchant ships carrying Indian crew.

While the US State Department did not comment on the call between Jaishankar and Rubio, it had earlier said it was in "direct contact" with the Indian government.

The issue of consent is at the forefront of social media discussions in India, triggered by a viral clip from a stand-up comedy show, in which an audience member recounted a date with a woman, saying that after buying her a plate of biryani worth 370 rupees (€3.36), he expected sexual access in return.

"I spent money, so I should get something back," he told the crowd, drawing laughter from audience members, including comedian Pranit More, who was hosting the show.

Following the backlash, the web developer who made the remark was fired from his job, while More issued an apology for not challenging the comment instead joining the laughter.

The incident has sparked a wider debate in India about entitlement, consent, and whether paying for a meal gives a man any claim over a woman's body.

People also said the laughter from the crowd normalized everyday misogyny instead of challenging it.

This comes at a time when there has been persistent violence against women in India.

Nationwide, 29,536 rape cases were reported in 2024, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. There were 441,534 cases of crimes against women reported, the data said.

Fueling a debate on consent

Mrignayanika,* a Delhi-based development sector professional, told DW that this case sparked a discussion about how dating culture can slide into transaction-based thinking.

She said she always found it "exploitative" that men buying women drinks made the men feel "entitled to their time and attention."

She added she always insists on splitting the bill.

"I don't want anyone getting ideas about me owing them time, attention, or sexual favors because they bought me a beverage," she said. "I'd rather have my coffee alone."

Gayathri Sreedharan, applied anthropologist and founder of Izaar, a sexual health discussion group in collaboration with the Hank Nunn Institute, said India's struggle with consent education stems from the fact that "sex talk has a major free speech problem in this country."

"We can make rude jokes, but we can't talk about the basics — the health part, the biology, laws, things like conditional consent, which is at the heart of the issue raised at the Pranit More show."

*Name changed on request