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@article{208589,
        author = {Amal George and Dr. Joben K Antony},
        title = {The "Zero-Hour" Developer: Assessing Welfare Security, Regulatory Gaps, and Socio-Economic Safety Nets for Kerala’s IT Gig Workforce},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {4},
        pages = {1983-1990},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=208589},
        abstract = {The rapid expansion of digital platform architectures has catalyzed a structural shift in the global labour market, giving rise to a precarious segment of freelance professionals: the "Zero-Hour" developer. While existing gig economy research predominantly focuses on low-skilled, location-based platform workers, this paper investigates the unique socio-economic vulnerabilities of white-collar IT gig workers in Kerala, India. Historically defined by robust institutionalized labour welfare, Kerala is currently transitioning toward a knowledge-led economy. However, this digital transition has birthed a macroeconomic paradox. Using a mixed-methods design that includes structured empirical surveys of 300 IT freelancers across major tech corridors, alongside qualitative institutional analyses, this study maps the structural precarity of Kerala’s tech-nomadic workforce. The findings reveal that despite their high human capital, these workers face acute income volatility, asymmetrical algorithmic control by global platforms, and systemic exclusion from statutory welfare mechanisms. Furthermore, national frameworks like the Code on Social Security (2020) fail to address the non-spatial modalities and cross-border realities of high-skilled digital labour. To mitigate this precarity, the study proposes a scalable policy framework centered on state-backed digital welfare boards and portable benefit architectures, institutionalizing socio-economic safety nets without compromising digital market agility.},
        keywords = {IT Gig Economy, Zero-Hour Contracts, Kerala Model, Labor Precarity, Algorithmic Management, Welfare Safety Nets, Knowledge Economy.},
        month = {September},
        }