Publications

Machine-readable publication list for Abhinav Kumar.

Doctoral Thesis

Title: Digital Platforms and Food Delivery Systems in India: A Study of Zomato Workers in Delhi

Degree: PhD in Economics (2025)

Institution: Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies (CISLS), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Supervisor: Prof. Archana Prasad

Field Research: In-depth interviews with Zomato delivery workers (Dec 2023 - Nov 2024, South & South-West Delhi), union leader consultations (AKEU, IFAT, TGPWU, AIGWU), WhatsApp ethnography of worker organizing groups

Key Contributions:

Empirical documentation of Zomato’s algorithmic management system
Application of Labour Process Theory to platform work in Global South
Analysis of worker resistance and union organizing in Indian gig economy
Theoretical framework bridging platform capitalism, LPT, and informality

Articles in Preparation

Algorithmic Management in Food Delivery Platforms

Target: Work, Employment and Society
Status: In preparation
Focus: Empirical analysis of Zomato’s algorithmic control mechanisms

Worker Resistance and Unionization in India’s Gig Economy

Target: International Labour Review
Status: In preparation
Focus: Emerging forms of collective action among platform workers

Platform Capitalism and Informal Labour in India

Target: Economic and Political Weekly
Status: In preparation
Focus: How platforms layer new forms of control onto existing informal structures

Platform Work in the Global South

Target: Development and Change
Status: In preparation
Focus: Comparative analysis of platform capitalism in Global South vs. Northern contexts

Working Papers

Sustainability of Digital Jobs and Youth Livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh

Project: ICCSR-funded, Christ (Deemed to be University)
Status: Data collection and analysis phase
Focus: Employment sustainability, youth labour market outcomes, gig platform expansion in UP

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