IIT Delhi develops ‘Work4Food’ for food delivery agents

New Delhi: IIT Delhi on Monday said that their research team has developed ‘Work4Food’ which not only guarantees government-mandated minimum wage compensations for delivery workers but also seeks to minimise platform costs while ensuring customer satisfaction.

“‘Work4Food’ concept has also presented at the prestigious International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence,” the IIT Delhi in a statement said.

It said that ‘Work4Food's’ minimum income guarantee, coupled with the flexibility it offers to platforms in onboarding delivery agents based on demand-supply dynamics, minimises unnecessary travel – a common practice among the delivery agents to strategically position themselves for the next order.

Prof. Abhijnan Chakraborty, Computer Science and Engineering Department, IIT Delhi said that this can have a long-term effect on reducing air pollution caused by vehicular emissions, at least until the entire delivery fleet transitions to battery-operated vehicles.

The IIT Delhi said that it is a unique approach for gig which ensures income guarantees based on government-mandated minimum wage rates.

The institution said that Fairwork Project is a global initiative that seeks to improve the working conditions of digital platform workers, including food delivery riders.

“The project assesses and ranks platform companies based on their adherence to fair labor practices to promote better standards in the gig economy,” the IIT Delhi said.

As per the IIT the Fairwork India’s 2023 report has shed light on a critical issue in the food delivery industry in India, where none of the major food delivery platforms were found to provide hourly local minimum wages to their delivery workers after accounting for fuel and other expenses.

The institution said that the gig economy model has been a driving force in the food delivery industry, making it difficult for the delivery workers to secure their rightful earnings.

“Food delivery platforms have faced challenges in increasing order delivery fees beyond a certain point, creating a complex dilemma for all stakeholders involved,” the IIT Delhi said.

According to the IIT the proposed formulation includes Income Guarantees. The scheme ensures that all delivery agents receive income guarantees based on government-mandated minimum wage rates, allowing them to earn a fair and consistent income.

The institution said that while online food delivery companies often cite the gig nature of the work and operational constraints as barriers to implementing local minimum wage guarantees, the novel solution introduced by the IIT Delhi researchers promises to address the issues.