Indian students make Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000 a month from gig work, report finds

Gig work is rapidly becoming a core source of income for Indian students, with earnings increasingly covering day-to-day living expenses rather than serving as discretionary income, according to a new report by student gig platform TimBuckDo.

Based on platform data across metropolitan centres and tier-2 cities, the report finds that the most common monthly student earnings range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000, aligned with essential costs such as rent, food and commuting. In tier-2 cities in particular, gig income now accounts for between 40% and 100% of monthly living expenses, underscoring a shift in the role of student work within India’s labour market.

TimBuckDo’s Doers’ Report 2025 introduces a “Gig Survival Index” to quantify this dependence. Average monthly payouts stood at about Rs. 8,000, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune emerging as the highest-paying markets. While absolute earnings were higher in large cities, the relative contribution of gig income to student finances was greater in smaller urban centres with lower living costs.

Work patterns reveal a fragmented but maturing ecosystem. On-ground roles accounted for 48% of student gigs, followed by remote work at 32% and flexible or hybrid roles at 20%. Demand remains strongest in telecalling, delivery and event operations, but newer categories such as AI-assisted research and content optimisation are gaining traction.

At the top end, a small cohort of students earned as much as Rs 1.5 lakh annually, the report said, though most incomes remained modest and uneven.

TimBuckDo’s executives argue the trend is structural. “In 2026, we expect this shift to accelerate as AI-powered matchmaking, smarter work design and deeper employer trust make student gig work faster, safer and more predictable,” said Mythri Kumar, co-founder and chief executive. Gig work, she added, is increasingly embedded into student life as a complement to education rather than a disruption.

However, the report flags persistent risks around informality and income volatility. “Opportunity alone is not enough,” said Apoorv Sharma Prasad, the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer. Without formal protections and institutional support, he said, student earnings remain vulnerable to sudden shocks.

On the demand side, employers are showing strong appetite. The report cites application rates of 10 to 50 candidates per role, repeat hiring by established corporate clients and rising demand for large-batch student recruitment across sales, delivery, events and digital functions.

The findings come as India’s broader gig economy continues to expand, with the country’s gig workforce projected to reach 24 million by 2030.