Bengaluru: Every morning at 7 am, 56-year-old Reshma, a cancer survivor, loads oversized delivery bags onto her electric rickshaw and begins another day delivering Amazon parcels across Bengaluru. Despite enduring life-altering surgery and permanent physical limitations, she continues to work because her family’s survival depends on her income.

Reshma has been an Amazon delivery associate for the past five years. Cancer treatment left the left side of her face permanently reconstructed using skin and bone from her thigh, one of her eyes constantly watering, and one arm with limited movement. Yet she continues to climb staircases, carry parcels and make door-to-door deliveries.

Determined to keep her family afloat

Reshma said she often faces questions from customers who wonder why she continues with such physically demanding work despite her condition.

For her, however, the job is not a choice but a necessity. The income helps her family meet household expenses and avoid falling behind on essential bills.

Before joining the gig economy, she had never imagined working as a delivery associate. Today, she depends on the job to support her family while battling the long-term effects of cancer treatment.

Older workers increasingly turning to gig jobs

Reshma’s story reflects a growing trend in India’s gig economy, where many workers in their fifties and sixties continue working because they cannot afford retirement.

According to labour representatives, rising living costs, healthcare expenses, debt and the absence of pension or retirement benefits are forcing older workers to remain on the road long after the conventional retirement age.

Many continue to work long hours despite health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other age-related illnesses, simply because they have no alternative source of income.

A story of resilience

Despite the challenges, Reshma remains determined to continue working. She admits that she still struggles with technology and relies on her daughter to help her use the delivery application on her smartphone.

Her journey stands as a testament to resilience and highlights the growing financial pressures faced by older workers in India’s expanding platform economy