Major consumer internet companies including Swiggy, Zepto, Urban Company, Eternal, and Meesho’s logistics arm Valmo have jointly filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, according to inc42.com. The petition argues that the state law creates a parallel regulatory framework to the central government’s existing social security framework for gig workers.
The writ petition was filed by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) along with the consortium of unicorn startups. The petition contends that the Parliament’s Code on Social Security, 2020, already provides a comprehensive national framework for identifying gig and platform workers, welfare schemes, and aggregator contributions. The petition claims the Karnataka law and its rules are arbitrary, violate Article 14, and infringe on fundamental rights under Part III of the Constitution. The case is yet to be listed before the High Court.
The challenge highlights tensions between state and central regulations on gig worker welfare amid the rapid growth of platform-based consumer tech companies. The petitioners argue that the Karnataka law is redundant given the central Code on Social Security and could create legal confusion by establishing a parallel regime. The case involves prominent startups that have significant gig workforce operations in Karnataka, a key market for India’s consumer internet sector.
The Karnataka High Court has not yet scheduled a hearing date for the petition. The consortium’s legal challenge underscores ongoing debates over the regulation and social security of gig workers in India’s expanding platform economy, with implications for how states and the Centre coordinate labor laws.