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Under the harsh April sun in Bengaluru, Shiban waits in the shade between deliveries, battling intense heat and headaches, to hit the delivery targets and earn incentives.
Shiban, a 28-year-old migrant from Assam, works as a delivery worker during the day and works as security guard at night. He says, “I get frequent headaches, heat rashes on the skin, feel dehydrated, sweating due to the heat.’’ Shiban earns between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 by doing both the jobs. Currently, there are no incentives during excess heat according to him.
In August 2025, Karnataka passed Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025. In January 2026, Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Development Board was established to provide social security and address the issues of the gig workers in Karnataka. Despite these emerging protections, climate risks such as heat waves remain largely unaddressed.
Bengaluru city is known for its unpredictable weather. According to Prakash Chauhan, director of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bengaluru, temperatures have increased by 1.5 degrees over the past two decades.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature of the city is between 35°C and 37°C. A heat wave was declared between April 11and April 15 due to increased heat caused by strong solar radiation and low humidity that resulted in temperatures to be above normal during the day.
Gig workers are vulnerable to extreme heat because they spend most of the time travelling outside and are exposed to severe heat conditions. This causes various health risks such as dehydration, headaches, heat stroke, heat rashes and exacerbate co-morbidities. According to the NITI AYOG report 2022, the gig workforce is estimated to grow around 23.5 million workers by 2029-30. This rapidly growing workforce requires protection from climate risks.
Shiban mentioned that he delivers during extreme heat to earn money. He says “I migrated to Bengaluru to earn money. I can’t sit at home. I do both the jobs to feed my family.”
He earns incentives of Rs 500 or more in a day if he hits the delivery target. “I lose my incentives if I take breaks due to headaches or exhaustion during the delivery time.”
In 2023, Zomato chief executive Deepinder Goyal announced ‘Shelter Project’. The rest points arranged under this project offer facilities like drinking water, high-speed internet, access to washrooms, phone-charging stations, and first-aid support.
While this move received appreciation across the country, the reality is different. There are only two rest points in Bengaluru, which can be traceable through Google Maps. And most of the delivery workers are not aware of this initiative. Even if they are aware, the rest points are insufficient.
Many gig workers do not prefer to take rest even if the opportunity is made available in the future, because they will lose their earnings, and may not hit the delivery targets. This will stop them from earning incentives. This is one of the dark patterns which prevents them from taking rest.
“Online delivery companies are monetising the option for delivery workers to take rest, compelling gig workers to work more for incentives. They should shut down their services during extreme weather conditions,” says Geetisha, a senior researcher on gig economy.
Shibhan adds that he is not aware of the rest shelters arranged by Zomato and never accessed them. Like him, Rajendra Singh has also not heard of anything called ‘rest shelters’.
Singh is a 25-year-old migrant from Odisha. “I migrated to work in Bengaluru two years ago, but left for home due to the high temperatures,” he says. Later he worked in Chennai as a mechanic. But the temperatures there are extremely higher than Bengaluru.
He returned to Bengaluru last year and has been working as a delivery person. “Bengaluru’s weather is unpredictable, shifting between extreme heat and unexpected spells of rain, due to which my eyes become red. I sweat, suffer from exhaustion, backpains and dehydration.”
Geetisha says, “Workers have to keep the company’s algorithm happy, because their future depends on the ratings and rankings.” For example, Swiggy has categories such as gold and silver for each worker and their insurance is dependent on their rankings. If they fail to deliver minimum orders, and don’t deliver on time, they might lose the insurance overnight. To satisfy the algorithm, they have to deliver during precarious weather conditions.”
Shakti, 28, is an Amazon delivery person living in Bengaluru for the past 15 years. He has been working at Amazon for the past five years. He said the heat has increased over the years in the city.
Shakti mentioned he is choosing the evening slots to deliver orders, due to intense heat in the morning hours. “Amazon alerts if there is intense heat or rain, they will assign less delivery orders during the delivery time slot,” he says.
He earns Rs 18 to Rs 19 per delivery and gets his earnings once in 15 days. He says he will deliver at least a hundred deliveries in a day. He mentioned that he does not take any break in between because the pay per delivery might be reduced in the future if he does not hit the delivery targets.
Geetisha says “Platforms don’t reveal their dark patterns. It can only be found out by research.”
Shaik Salauddin is the founder of Indian Federation of App based Transport (IFAT) and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU). He says, “Heat waves and floods during the rainy season are not focused upon much in the Gig Workers Act. These issues are not focused on separately because these can be introduced in the later stages in the same act through policy changes. For now, basic problems are of paramount interest.”
As India’s cities grow hotter, gig workers remain on the frontlines of climate exposure, without recognition as workers, and without protection from the heat. Unless policy frameworks evolve to address climate risks, the burden of urban heat will continue to fall on those least equipped to bear it.
Chaluvadi Sai Dinesh is a Development Student at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru with an interest in environmental issues, public policy, and urban development in India.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth