Journal of African Development

Platform based workforces have expanded rapidly in both India and Australia, creating new economic opportunities while deepening long standing concerns around precarity, classification, and access to social security. This article examines how the two jurisdictions are attempting to regulate platform labour within their broader social protection frameworks. Using a doctrinal and comparative approach, the paper contrasts India’s Social Security Code, 2020 which formally recognizes gig and platform workers but leaves key entitlements discretionary; with recent Australian reforms that strengthen minimum standards, define “employee-like” work, and address algorithmic control.  Through case law, legislative analysis, and policy review, the article evaluates whether these reforms meaningfully reduce vulnerability or merely repackage traditional employment tests. The comparison highlights regulatory gaps that persist in both systems, particularly around income security, occupational protections, and collective rights. The paper argues for a more integrated approach to social security that reflects the real condition of platform labour and offers insights for jurisdictions grappling with similar challenges globally