Hyderabad’s gig and platform workers now have a dedicated membership-based rest and dining facility in Kondapur, with the inauguration of Upzy House on High-Tension Line Road, after a six-month on-ground study found that 90% of surveyed delivery riders had no access to toilets while at work.
The facility, launched on 2 October 2026, offers quality meals, clean restrooms, medical consultations and a safe place to rest, with a separate private lounge for women gig workers to address long-standing concerns around clean toilets and safe waiting spaces. Membership is open to workers associated with platforms including Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, JioMart, Rapido and Urban Company.
The launch follows a study by the Upzy team covering 4,163 gig workers in Kondapur and surrounding dark-store clusters. The study found that 68% of surveyed workers spent more than 10 hours a day on city roads and 90% used the roadside or inconvenient public toilets due to a complete absence of basic amenities during working hours.
Upzy co-founder and CEO Aditya Vuchi said most digital platforms treat delivery riders as a cost item rather than as the primary customer.
“Most digital platforms treat delivery riders merely as a cost item, but for us, the rider is the primary customer. We will launch more centres across Hyderabad until every gig worker in the city has a facility within reach of their working zone,” Vuchi commented during the inauguration.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union attended the launch alongside government officials. Shaik Salauddin, Founder and President of the union, said no comparable facility exists in India and urged the government to partner with Upzy for upcoming public worker restrooms. He said maintenance costs should be met from the Gig Worker Welfare Board cess funds to ensure the model runs sustainably.
Co-founder Anil Rachamalla, speaking at the inauguration, said the absence of clean toilets and safe spaces was the primary deterrent to women entering the gig economy. “A dedicated private lounge for women gig workers is also here at the centre, providing clean toilets and safe waiting spaces. The absence of such facilities is the primary deterrent to women entering the gig economy,” he explained.
Minister Vivekanand, who also attended the launch, highlighted the Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026, which has been introduced in the state Assembly, and said facilities supporting worker dignity were valuable.
The launch adds to a widening policy and private-sector response to India’s gig worker amenities gap. Karnataka established a Gig Workers Welfare Board in 2024-25, with aggregators required to pay a percentage of commission into a welfare fund. The Centre has mandated gig worker registration under the e-Shram portal within a 45-day window, and multiple state-level schemes for accident, life insurance and basic amenities are at various stages of rollout.
