A groundbreaking new book is shedding light on the human stories behind South Asia's rapidly expanding gig economy. Vandana Vasudevan's "OTP Please! Online Buyers, Sellers and Gig Workers in South Asia" offers a comprehensive look at how digital platforms have transformed lives across the region, revealing unexpected emotional connections between all participants in this new economic ecosystem.
The Human Algorithm Behind Platform Work
While recent labor codes claiming to bring gig workers under social security protection have drawn attention to this sector, Vasudevan's approach goes beyond policy to examine the psychological and emotional dimensions of platform work. The book, published by Penguin and spanning 341 pages, draws from extensive research conducted across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The timing is particularly relevant given the massive growth of platform services since the pandemic. What was once unthinkable in 2019 - the ability to "Swiggy" a meal or "Dunzo" a forgotten item - has become an unremarkable part of daily life for millions. Yet behind this convenience lies a complex web of human experiences that Vasudevan meticulously documents.
Nine Emotions That Define the Gig Experience
Rather than organizing her narrative by stakeholder groups, Vasudevan takes an innovative approach by structuring the book around nine shared emotions and experiences: pleasure, guilt, anger, freedom, oppression, anxiety, isolation and courage. This framework reveals how the realities of different players unexpectedly echo one another across the platform economy.
The book gives voice to those rarely heard in discussions about gig work. Readers meet the dark store manager struggling to hire 150 riders at the unrealistic rate of 10 per day, a strategy companies use to combat high employee attrition. We also hear from a wheelchair-bound lecturer who has found new independence through ride-hailing apps after years of struggling with unreliable public transport.
Vasudevan's research is impressively thorough, though the sheer volume of interviews occasionally leads to repetitiveness. For instance, the challenges South Asian women face when using public transportation are explored in multiple chapters dealing with anxiety and courage.
Beyond the Headlines: A Regional Perspective
While disturbing reports about warehouse conditions, delivery accidents, and worker strikes have become commonplace, Vasudevan argues these remain fragments of a larger picture. Her work connects these dots to present a cohesive understanding of how the gig economy has reshaped expectations for everyone involved.
The book captures a distinctive South Asian moment characterized by entrepreneurial energy, limited employment opportunities, deep socioeconomic divides, and an aspiring middle class seeking services that create the illusion of an elevated lifestyle. States like Rajasthan, Telangana and Karnataka have begun legislative efforts to regulate worker rights and welfare, but Vasudevan's work suggests the emotional landscape requires equal attention.
Priced at Rs 499 and released on November 29, 2025, "OTP Please!" stands as a vivid portrait of a economic transformation that has touched millions of lives across the subcontinent. By focusing on the human algorithm behind the digital platforms, Vasudevan makes the shifts wrought by the gig economy feel immediate and personal, offering crucial insights for policymakers, businesses, and consumers alike.
