We’re excited to host Dr. Aditi Surie, a Senior Consultant at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and a leading researcher on digital labour platforms, worker well-being, and livelihoods in India.

At IIHS, Dr. Surie leads the academic and policy research portfolio on technology and society, focusing on how digital platforms shape work, employment, and economic opportunities, especially in the Global South. Since 2015, she has conducted extensive sectoral studies on gig and platform workers, analyzing their working conditions, risks, and experiences with platform design.

Her research provides crucial insights into employment in India’s fast-growing platform economy, covering workers across delivery, ride-hailing, home services, and other digital labour platforms.Beyond research, she is actively involved in policy discussions on labour rights, digital governance, and platform regulation, collaborating with academics, policymakers, and civil society organizations.

Her co-edited book, Platformization and Informality (2023), brings together scholars to develop Global South-specific frameworks for understanding the quality and regulation of platform work.

In this episode, Dr. Surie takes us deep into the Platform Economy, examining how companies like Urban Company, Swiggy, Blinkit, and BluSmart generate employment and what that means for workers' rights, job security, and economic inclusion.

‘In Solidarity’ is the SEWA Cooperative Federation Podcast, dedicated to unpacking critical themes around women’s economic empowerment and the challenges facing women-run enterprises.

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The recent global health crises, the impending climate crises, global economic instability and recession, highlights the loopholes in our existing understanding of the economy and the current development paradigm. Yet, what is the alternative? On April 18, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution “Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development”. Simel Esim, a political - economist who Heads the Cooperatives Unit at the International Labour Organisation, better explains the SSE, role of the ILO and why it is the best alternative.

Welcome to Episode 11 of "In Solidarity" with Dr. Padmini Ray Murray. Dr. Padmini comes from a background in design and technology, with a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She is the founder of Design Beku, a feminist collective dedicated to making approaches to design and technology more locally rooted, contextual and ethical.

In this episode, we delve into the barriers to digital inclusion, especially for the marginalized sections like women and people with disabilities. We explore how access and ownership—or the lack thereof—pose significant challenges, not just in terms of owning a smartphone but also in how technology itself is designed. As we navigate a world where even social protection programs like Aadhar are digitally delivered, the urgency of making technology more inclusive through diverse design solutions cannot be overstated. Join us as we unpack these critical issues and discuss ways to create more inclusive tech solutions with Dr. Padmini.