Gig workers in India are bearing the brunt of extreme heat as temperatures soar across the country, with many starting their day already exhausted due to sleepless nights in poorly ventilated homes. In Delhi, the mercury has reached record highs for May, with nights warming faster than days, leaving informal workers with little chance to recover.
A new report by the US-based People’s Courage International (PCI), based on interviews with more than 2,200 internal migrants in five Asian cities, including Delhi, found that nearly eight in ten workers reported that extreme heat was disrupting their livelihoods. Many are losing wages because they cannot work full shifts and are spending more on water and medicines.
Jalaj Jha, a 24-year-old delivery rider in Delhi, said he barely sleeps three or four hours a night. “It feels like my body is pulling me down,” he said, describing his 12-hour shifts in temperatures exceeding 45C. Similarly, Ajay Kumar, a 32-year-old vegetable vendor in Gurugram, said his head spins with the heat but he has no choice but to continue working for his family.
The report highlights what researchers call a “recovery deficit”, where workers begin each day already physically depleted. Sleep deprivation is contributing to lower productivity, worsening health, and anxiety. With over 70% of Asia’s workforce exposed to excessive heat, and nearly 90% of Indian workers in the informal economy, experts warn that cities remain poorly prepared for worsening heatwaves, with many government responses failing to address workers’ needs adequately.
