Indian women at workplaces; Gig workers stuck in low-paying jobs

Tighter budgeting, steady revenue momentum—Paytm’s turnaround strategy is a simple, but time-tested one.

The digital payments firm reported a profit after tax of Rs 266 crore in Q3 FY26, up 40.7%. Paytm’s quarterly report card got a boost from an exceptional gain from the sale of its stake in Japan’s PayPay, which flowed through to the parent’s profits.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is pinning its strategy on AI momentum. The tech giant reported a strong jump in revenue and profit in its fiscal second quarter of 2026, driven by its cloud business.

The integration of OpenAI technologies, including Azure OpenAI and Copilot, has created a powerful AI-cloud growth loop, with AI workloads running on Azure and fuelling cloud demand.

Moving on, how young is too young for social media?

India’s chief economic adviser proposed age-based limits on access to social media platforms he said were “predatory” in their approach to keeping users online. 

This proposal would be a critical hit to Meta and YouTube in their largest user market. For context, DataReportal pegs YouTube users in India at 500 million, Facebook at 403 million, Instagram at 481 million, and Snapchat at 213 million.

Protective or restrictive?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Indian women at workplaces
• Gig workers stuck in low-paying jobs
• Swiggy’s loss widens in Q3

Here’s your trivia for today: Where is the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay?

Insight

Indian women at workplaces

India has recorded a positive trend in women’s participation in the labour force over the past six years, reflecting a shift toward greater inclusion and economic empowerment, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 presented in Parliament on Thursday.

The Survey pointed out that the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) rose from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, even as the unemployment rate declined from 5.6% to 3.2% during the same period.

Key takeaways:

• According to the Women and Men in India, 2024 report cited in the survey, the share of female-headed proprietary establishments rose from 24.2% in 2021-22 to 26.2% in 2023-24.
• West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, which show a higher presence of female-headed enterprises, also report higher female labour force participation.
• The survey cautioned that factors such as limited mobility, lack of affordable and safe housing, and rigid work arrangements that clash with caregiving responsibilities continue to restrict women’s access to stable, formal and higher-paying employment.

Funding Alert

Startup: EarthSync Technologies 

Amount: $1M

Round: Pre-seed

Startup: OneARVO

Amount: Rs 1.2 Cr

Round: Pre-seed

Insight

Gig workers stuck in low-paying jobs

India’s gig workforce has surged 55% since 2021 to reach 12 million workers. The number represents over 2% of the country’s labour force, according to the government’s latest Economic Survey released Thursday.

But the rapid expansion has exposed deep fault lines in worker protections, with 40% of these workers earning below Rs 15,000 monthly. The report notes that workers cannot afford the basic equipment needed to escape low-paying gigs.

Loop:

• The survey proposes platforms and employers to co-invest in worker assets and training. This would enable delivery workers to acquire vehicles for ride-hailing, or basic equipment for skilled trades.
• India’s gig economy is projected to contribute Rs 2.35 lakh crore ($28 billion) to GDP by 2030 and represent 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce.
• Ecommerce dominates the sector with 3.7 million gig workers—roughly 31% of the total—followed by logistics at 1.5 million.

News

Swiggy’s loss widens in Q3

Sriharsha Majety-led Swiggy posted a widened loss of Rs 1,065 crore in the December quarter, even as its topline grew by 53% to touch Rs 6,148 crore, helped by contributions from Instamart and its food delivery arm during the festive quarter. The company had posted a loss of Rs 799 crore in the same period last fiscal year.

News & updates

• AI pivot: Tesla said that it will invest $2 billion in CEO Elon Musk’s artificial-intelligence company xAI – and that production plans for its ​Cybercab robotaxi were on track for this year.
• Ambitious forecast: Meta Platforms reported record sales in the fourth quarter and a massive increase in projected 2026 spending, a sign the company has no plans to slow down an ambitious artificial-intelligence expansion.
• Crypto fears: Bitcoin dropped below $85,000 for the first time in almost two months amid a pullback in risk assets. The largest cryptocurrency slipped as much as 5.7% to $84,233, the lowest price since Dec. 1.

Where is the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay?

Answer: Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico. The bay’s brightness is caused by the chemical reactions of tiny glowing organisms called dinoflagellates — also known as “swirling fire.”

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