1 minute read

Welcome to my research blog! I’m Abhinav Kumar, a development researcher specializing in digital platforms, gig work, and labour studies in India. This blog is a space where I’ll share my thoughts, analysis, and ongoing research on the rapidly evolving platform economy and its implications for workers and society.

What to Expect

This blog will cover a range of topics related to my research interests:

Platform Economy

Analysis of how digital platforms are reshaping markets, work, and economic relationships. I’ll examine platform business models, algorithmic management, and the political economy of platform capitalism.

Labour Studies

Insights into worker conditions, labour processes, and resistance in platform-mediated work. Drawing from my fieldwork with food delivery workers in Delhi, I’ll share observations on how gig workers navigate precarity and organize for better conditions.

Research Methods

Reflections on conducting research in the gig economy, including digital ethnography, survey design, and working with large-scale datasets like NSSO and PLFS.

Digital Alternatives

Exploration of community-governed and non-extractive digital market systems. As platform monopolies grow, communities are experimenting with cooperative alternatives - I’ll document and analyze these emerging models.

Reviews

Critical reviews of books, papers, and reports on platform economy, labour, and digital capitalism.

My Background

I am a PhD candidate at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where my doctoral research focused on food delivery platforms, labour processes, and worker resistance in India. My work is grounded in Global South contexts, informed by long-term fieldwork and direct engagement with labour unions and worker collectives.

Currently, I’m working as a Research Associate at Christ University on an ICCSR-funded project examining the sustainability of digital jobs and youth livelihoods in the gig-platform economy in Uttar Pradesh.

Let’s Connect

I believe in the importance of public scholarship and knowledge sharing. Through this blog, I hope to contribute to broader conversations about the future of work in the digital age.

If you’re interested in:

  • Research collaborations
  • Academic discussions
  • Policy dialogues
  • Or just have questions about my work

Feel free to reach out at maurya.abhinava@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for more posts on platform economy, labour studies, and the ongoing struggles of gig workers in India and beyond.

Comments

You May Also Enjoy