4 in 5 gig workers would recommend their work over other opportunities says Ipsos Survey
Praveen business
4 in 5 gig workers would recommend their work over other opportunities says Ipsos Survey

Mumbai, March 21, 2024: The staggering growth of gig economy platforms and the workers associated with it has brought into sharp focus several aspects of the future of work and now a 6-city-wide survey of gig workers has revealed, why gig work continues to work for millions of Indians. 84% of gig workers are satisfied with their experience of working in the gig economy, as per the Ipsos Survey. High earning potential (29%), flexibility of schedule (27%), and desire for independence (24%), stand out as the top motivators for gig workers to join the sector.

Ipsos Research Private Limited (Ipsos) market research surveyed to understand why gig work works and the perception towards the gig economy in India from October 2023 to November 2023 amongst 3668 gig workers who were working across platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Ola, InDrive, Rapido, Amazon, Flipkart, Zepto, BigBasket, and Dunzo, across six of the top metro cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Almost 65% of surveyed gig workers claimed they started working in the Gig economy over the last 3 years.

Gig work was the primary source of income for a whopping 88% of gig workers. More than two-thirds of gig workers stated that platform work provides them with sufficient monthly earnings to sustain their livelihood. Of the remaining, 43% of the surveyed claim that their earnings have remained the same after switching to gig work from their previous work.

89% of the surveyed gig workers feel that gig work offers them flexibility in terms of when and where to work. Flexibility remains the key aspect (31%) across platforms that gig workers like about their work followed by being their own boss (29%) and finding a better work-life balance (25%). The ‘choice to switch between platforms’ and ‘diverse income streams account’ together account for less than 5% and are not a major influence.

Interestingly, one-third of the surveyed gig workers claim that gig work provided them the opportunity to move from their hometown to a bigger city. The need for low investment to begin earning (26%) was the next most favored positive aspect of gig work. 18% of surveyed gig workers also value that platform-based work has helped them sustain their family which would have been tougher in the absence of such work.

On the other hand, the Ipsos Survey reveals that 29% of surveyed gig workers feel that lack of social security benefits such as insurance and PF remains a common challenge.

In the absence of gig work, only 30% would prefer traditional work/ look for a full-time job as an alternative to meet their financial goals. Going back to their hometown/village to find work ranks at the bottom (8%) on the list of alternatives to gig work. Close to three-fourths (77%) of gig workers would recommend gig work to others seeking work opportunities.

Survey Methodology

The objective of the survey conducted was ‘To measure the impact of the gig economy on gig workers and understand the reasons why workers continue to join it.’ Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies Were used to generate insights. Face-to-face CAPI interviews were conducted, whereas In-depth interviews were conducted among target respondents. The period of survey was conducted between 18th October and 20th November 2023. A total sample of 3668 was achieved across 6 centers covering Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.

Space Matrix and Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) team up for project Re:Source, setting new standards for construction waste recycling in India
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Space Matrix and Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) team up for project Re:Source, setting new standards for construction waste recycling in India

Bengaluru, 21st March 2024: Space Matrix, a leading global workplace design and build powerhouse, has embarked on a transformative journey in collaboration with SZW to ensure the sustainable disposal of construction waste across its projects. The initiative named Re: Source, is a path-breaking step towards integrating circular economy concepts into construction and demolition (C&D) waste management in India.

Re source

Currently, India accounts for 35% to 40% of construction waste globally, but just about 1% of the waste materials are recycled, and the rest end up in landfills. As a company committed to sustainability, with its Re: Source framework, Space Matrix aims to channel these waste materials back to construction sites.

The focus is to ensure minimal processing and convert the waste into the same or other types of construction materials. Considering that construction materials cost 50% to 60% of a project’s budget, this recycling can also boost cost-effectiveness and positively impact the environment. The partnership with SZW marks a beginning in this direction.

Speaking about this novel project which can catalyze the waste management efforts in the C&D sector in India, Akshay Lakhanpal, CEO of India, Space Matrix, said, “Despite existing policy frameworks like the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, responsible disposal remains a daunting challenge in India. Through our collaboration with SWMPL, we have taken proactive steps to lead this change. We discussed the project’s objective and details with our clients, and they were completely on board to work with us to reduce the environmental impact of construction waste and comply with the regulations. Our inaugural pilot project under the Re: Source initiative has already delivered positive outcomes, showcasing the feasibility and environmental benefits of integrating circular economy principles into C&D waste management. Moving forward, we aspire to replicate and scale these successes across our future projects, catalyzing industry-wide change on a national scale.”

Sharing details about the project, and the potential of environmental conservation, Shobha Raghavan, COO of Saahas Zero Waste, said, “Since 2013, we’ve partnered with corporates, housing societies, government agencies, and stakeholders to realize a zero-waste, circular economy. Viewed in the context of India’s overall C&D waste, these circular economy principles can significantly address environmental concerns and contribute to the fight against climate change. Our partnership with Space Matrix is going to be a major step forward in this direction, and we hope to continue making the right impact through Project Re: Source.”

British Airways unveils new a website and app as part of its Pounds 7bn transformation plan
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British Airways unveils new a website and app as part of its Pounds 7bn transformation plan

British Airways, a leading global airline has announced an array of new initiatives to transform the airline, unveiling a £7bn transformation plan at its first ‘In the Skies’ showcase event in London. Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle outlined his modernisation plan, committing to delivering a world-class customer experience, modernising IT, growing pride among colleagues and focusing on sustainability, as well as driving on-time performance.

British airways

“We’re on a journey to a better BA for our people and for our customers, underpinned by a transformation programme that will see us invest £7bn over the next two years to revolutionise our business,” Sean Doyle, British Airways Chairman and CEO said. “We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. We’re also heavily investing in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points for our customers.”

Ba.com and app
As part of its investment programme, British Airways has confirmed plans to overhaul its digital user experience with a new website and mobile app offering deeper personalisation. The new ba.com browser is already in BETA testing with platforms designed to offer a range of new services, including empowering customers to self-serve if they wish, taking control of and making changes to their journeys online, rather than having to call one of the airline’s customer care centres to alter their plans. Initial changes will start to roll out by the end of the year.

WiFi enhancements for customers
With more customers looking to remain connected with the world from their seats, from April 3, British Airways Executive Club Members will start to be able to send messages free of charge on a single device using the airline’s WiFi – whatever cabin they’re travelling in. The service will be available on every WiFi-enabled aircraft within two weeks of the rollout date

The airline has also become the first to offer a WiFi-enabled inflight customer care solution to solve issues at the moment – even at 35,000ft. Created especially for British Airways by Microsoft, customer care teams on the ground are now able to connect with cabin crew colleagues across more than 300 flights a day. The functionality allows the crew to help solve any unexpected issues before a flight lands at one of the airline’s more than 200 destinations.

Operational excellence
The airline is investing £100m in machine learning, automation and AI across its operation, driving improvements from bookings to baggage handling and helping to revolutionise its operation, speed up departures and respond to disruption. Innovative new tools are helping to predict delays (prompting pre-emptive action to reduce disruption) and analyse real-time weather, aircraft capacity and customer connections data to help teams make better decisions. Since the introduction of the systems, alongside several new processes and ways of working, the airline has seen improvement to its on-time departures.

British Airways is also creating around 350 new roles at Heathrow to improve customer experience at its home and hub airport and is investing in new equipment, such as baggage tugs and towing vehicles.
The airline is also investing £750m in its IT infrastructure to move 700 systems and thousands of servers to the cloud by early next year.

New lounge design concept
The airline is proud to announce that it is set to open another brand-new lounge, this time in Dubai, which is relocating to a new larger space at Dubai Airport later this year. This lounge will be the first to feature British Airways’ new lounge design concept, followed by the opening of its Miami lounge in 2025. The new Dubai lounge will replace the existing lounge facility at the airport, offering more space and more features for customers. The airline has also announced lounge refreshes in Lagos and Seattle, these follow recent lounge refurbishments at Heathrow Terminals 5 and 3, as well as Edinburgh.

New cabins and seats
New short-haul seats and cabin interiors will feature on the next generation of British Airways’ Airbus A320neo and A321neos, with eight aircraft set to arrive in May this year. The airline is working with the best British suppliers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the new short-haul Euro Traveller and Club Europe seats reflecting a modern yet classic British interior. The re-designed cabins will also be fitted with extra-large bins for overhead luggage.

Investment in First
As the only European carrier to offer First Class between the UK and the US, British Airways is to introduce a brand-new and exclusive First Suite. The airline expects the new seat to make its debut at the end of 2025 into early 2026 as part of its A380 aircraft refurbishment.

New Routes
British Airways flights from London to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are set to return. The services will re-start in October and November respectively, further demonstrating British Airways’ commitment to expanding its network to Asia post-pandemic.
The airline will operate daily flights between the Malaysian capital city and London Heathrow on a 787-9 aircraft, as well as three flights a week between the Thai capital and London Gatwick on a 777-200ER.
British Airways is also returning to Abu Dhabi on April 20, as well as welcoming Agadir in Morocco on March 31 and adding Izmir in Turkey to its network on May 18.

Sustainability
Taking significant and urgent action to address aviation’s impacts is critical to make the industry much more sustainable in the long term. Through the BA Better World programme and its commitment to People, Planet, and Responsible Business, British Airways continues to innovate to drive continual improvement in its environmental, social, and governance business performance and meet its net zero target by 2050 or sooner.
Last week the airline’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG) announced its largest SAF purchase agreement to date with e-SAF (power-to-liquid) producer ‘Twelve’, which will supply advanced e-SAF made from carbon dioxide, water and renewable energy to support IAG’s five European airlines, including British Airways. The next-generation fuel will reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% versus conventional jet fuel. IAG is the first European airline group to announce an e-SAF deal, and the agreement will enable it to continue increasing its SAF use towards the goal of 10% by 2030.

Free messaging
The free messaging pass will allow British Airways Executive Club members to use messaging-type online applications, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger and Teams Chat – without images, videos or attachments, text only.

WiFi is available on all of the airline’s Gatwick fleet and more than 80 per cent of British Airways’ Heathrow fleet, rolling out to 100 per cent by the end of 2025.
Free messaging will be available on all BA-connected aircraft for the full duration of the flight on a single device. Executive Club Members will access by logging into their account. Non-members can sign up on board or before they travel, to use the free Messaging service.
New short-haul seats
Club Europe seats will see the return of the bespoke leather tray that sits between the aisle and window seat. All Club Europe seats will also be fitted with USB-A & USB-C power (60W) backrest-mounted charging ports, while the Euro Traveller seats will be fitted with USB-A & USB-C (15W) backrest-mounted charging ports.

New routes
Flights from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur (LHR-KUL) are scheduled to operate daily from November 10 on a 4-cabin aircraft with the following configuration: 8 First, 42 Club, 39 World Traveller Plus, and 127 World Traveller.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) from London Heathrow (LHR)
All times are local
Route Flight number Departing Arriving Date Days in Operation Aircraft
LHR – KUL BA33 20:45 17:30+1 10/11/24 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 787-9
KUL – LHR BA34 23:20 05:35+1 11/11/24 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 787-9

Flights from London Gatwick to Bangkok (LGW-BKK) are scheduled to operate three times per week from October 28 on a 3-cabin aircraft with the following configuration: 32 Club, 48 World Traveller Plus, and 252 World Traveller.

Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) from London Gatwick (LGW)
All times are local
This is a winter-only route
Route Flight number Departing Arriving Date Days in Operation Aircraft
LGW – BKK BA2231 21:00 15:55+1 28/10/2024 1,4 and 6 777-200ER
BKK – LGW BA2230 22:55 05:30+1 29/10/2024 2,5 and 7 777-200ER

Operations
Recent announcements about new technology can be found here.

Sustainability

British Airways recent sustainability announcements can be found here. Find out more about our journey to create a better, more sustainable future with BA Better World. Read our latest Sustainability Report, discover how we’re supporting our people while helping to reduce our impact on the environment and more, here.

British Airways Holidays extends double Tier Points offer
British Airways Holidays has today extended its double Tier Points offer, (whereby Executive Club Members can earn double Tier Points on flights taken as part of a package holiday). This offer is now available for travel until 30 June 2025. The offer will also be applied in retrospect for any applicable customers who have already booked to travel in the extended period.