‘If gig economy shuts, millions lose income’: CEO slams politicians on job creation amid raging debate

As the debate around gig workers’ rights and rapid-delivery models intensifies on social media, Jasveer Singh, Co-Founder and CEO of KnotDating, has entered the fray with a strongly worded defence of India’s gig economy and the founders behind it. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Singh questioned political criticism of platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto, arguing that these companies exist largely because of the state’s failure to generate sufficient employment. Targeting Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha by name, Singh asked how many jobs elected leaders have themselves created, contrasting that with the millions of livelihoods supported by gig platforms. 

“If the gig economy shuts down today, millions lose income overnight,” Singh wrote, warning that calls to curb or dismantle the model ignore the immediate employment reality facing India. According to him, private founders — often backed by foreign capital — stepped in to fill a vacuum left by inadequate public-sector job creation. 

Singh challenged critics of the 10-minute delivery model to address a basic question: where would these jobs go if such platforms were shut down tomorrow? “India has a massive jobs problem,” he said, adding that gig work, despite its flaws, currently provides income to millions who have limited alternatives. 

The KnotDating CEO also criticised what he described as “outrage politics”, accusing politicians of positioning themselves as saviours of gig workers without having built systems that generate employment at scale. He argued that while delivery partners deserve safety, dignity and predictable earnings, these goals cannot be achieved by threatening the underlying business models that sustain livelihoods. 

On concerns that ultra-fast delivery encourages rash driving, Singh pushed back by citing public statements from Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal. He noted that speed is achieved through dense networks of dark stores located close to consumers, not reckless riding. Riders, he said, typically travel less than two kilometres at moderate speeds, do not see delivery timers, and benefit from efficient picking and packing processes. 

Singh emphasised that participation in the gig economy is voluntary, pointing out that workers log in because they need income in a market with limited options. If political leaders genuinely cared about workers, he argued, their focus should be on large-scale job creation and social security frameworks rather than headline-grabbing attacks on private platforms. 

In his closing remarks, Singh called on politicians to stop “hunting founders for applause” and instead channel their efforts toward enabling employment. He also acknowledged entrepreneurs such as Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani, crediting them with building institutions that have supported employment for decades.