InSolidarity |Podcast S1E12| Platform Economy and Future of Work for Digital Labour with Aditi Surie

Описание: In this episode, we speak with Dr. Aditi Surie, Senior Consultant at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), whose research explores digital labor platforms, worker well-being, and livelihoods in India. 

Aditi shares her deep insights from her co-edited book Platformization and Informality (2023) — applying Global South frameworks to understand how platform work interacts with already informal economies. 

In this conversation, we explore:
• Why highly educated women often end up in low-quality, home-based platform jobs
• The limitations of calling all platform work “gig work” in the Indian context
• How algorithmic architectures shift power and obscure accountability
• The challenges and possibilities of designing regulation and social security for platform workers
• The importance of building data repositories so that states know who is working on platforms
• Gendered barriers in mobility, safety, and platform design
• The untapped potential of collective platform models
• Advice to young workers and researchers entering the field

This episode bridges technology, policy, gender, and the future of urban work — showing that platforms don’t automatically solve employment challenges, but can be shaped to support dignity, equity, and justice.

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About In Solidarity
In Solidarity is a podcast by SEWA Cooperative Federation exploring women’s work, collectives, tech, and systems change. We bring conversations with scholars, activists, and practitioners to make visible the invisible.

📩 Contact us: [email protected]
🔗 SEWA: https://www.sewafederation.org

Tags / Keywords:
Platform work, gig economy India, women in tech, digital labor platforms, regulation, social security, informal work, collective platforms, future of work, Aditi Surie, IIHS

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & Guest Introduction
02:00 – Word Association & Framing the Problem
04:15 – Women Graduates Entering Low-Quality Platform Work
07:40 – Can Platforms Solve Youth Employment?
10:50 – “Gig Work” vs “Informal Work”: Why Language Matters
13:30 – Regulation & Policy Needs for Decent Platform Work
17:20 – Social Security, State Role & Data Repositories
20:45 – Women & Platforms: Mobility, Safety, Design Flaws
24:30 – Collective Platforms: Possibilities & Challenges
28:10 – Advice for Young Workers & Researchers
31:00 – Closing Remarks & Takeaways