2024 Hyderabad HeatWatch survey found nearly 7 in 10 workers surveyed lacked clean washroom access; centres to provide all-weather rest spaces, drinking water, sanitation, health support, charging and WiFi.
HYDERABAD (India CSR): The Government of Telangana and Zepto have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish five Project PRAGATI Centres across Hyderabad, creating dedicated spaces where gig workers across platforms can rest and access essential facilities during the working day.
The initiative seeks to address gaps in basic urban infrastructure for workers who spend much of their day on the road. A 2024 HeatWatch survey of 166 gig and platform workers in Hyderabad, whose findings were subsequently examined in Economic & Political Weekly, found that nearly 69% of workers surveyed lacked access to clean washrooms, while more than 80% lacked shaded resting areas or cooling facilities while working.
The PRAGATI Centres will be open to gig workers across platforms, including workers in quick commerce, food delivery, e-commerce, apparel and other last-mile delivery networks. Depending on the locations jointly identified by the Government and Zepto, each centre could see hundreds of worker visits.
Vikas Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Zepto, said, “India’s gig workforce is projected to grow from 77 lakh workers in 2020–21 to 2.35 crore by 2029–30. As this workforce grows, the infrastructure supporting it must evolve too. Access to drinking water, clean washrooms, a safe place to rest or somewhere to charge a phone are basic requirements for anyone spending much of their working day on the move. We already provide these facilities to delivery partners across our store network. Through Project PRAGATI, we are extending that thinking beyond Zepto’s ecosystem and working with the Government of Telangana to create spaces that can be accessed by gig workers across platforms.”
Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to the Government, Metropolitan Area & Urban Development Department, said, “Gig and platform workers are an increasingly important part of Hyderabad’s urban economy. As the nature of work evolves, cities must also respond to the everyday infrastructure needs of people working on the move. Project PRAGATI will create accessible spaces that address some of these practical requirements and are available to workers irrespective of the platform they are associated with. We welcome Zepto’s partnership in supporting this initiative for Hyderabad’s wider gig-worker community.”
Each centre will provide safe, all-weather resting space, clean drinking water, clean washroom access, first-aid support, mobile charging points and WiFi connectivity. The centres will also host periodic health camps and facilitate awareness around e-Shram registration for eligible gig and unorganised workers. Zepto will fund and maintain the centres on an ongoing basis as provided in the MoU with the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation.
Zepto’s store network already provides delivery partners access to core facilities such as drinking water, washrooms, resting space, charging and first-aid support. Project PRAGATI extends this approach to the wider gig-worker ecosystem through dedicated, platform-agnostic centres.
(India CSR)
