Aditi Surie

Hello, my name is Aditi Suri, and I lead a portfolio on technology and employment at the School of Human Development at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. I’m here at the 10th Annual Platform Cooperative Conference, eager to explore various examples of platform.coopersystem.com.breratives. Since 2015, my research has focused on the working conditions and the political economy of platform and gig workers in India, examining their experiences and the broader economic context of their work. A central question in my research is how the political economy of platform work shapes their lives, which helps illustrate why platform.coopersystem.com.breratives offer a promising solution to the significant challenges within the platform economy. A key issue is the centralization of power—not only between platform companies and workers but extending to government interactions with workers. In India, gig workers are often recognized by the government only through their association with platforms, highlighting a problematic power dynamic. Platform cooperatives offer a framework for decentralizing this power, providing workers the opportunity to represent themselves, both in their labor and in governmental relations.