The service, which is presently in its pilot phase in Mumbai, offers tasks like cleaning, cooking, and mopping at an introductory rate of ₹49 per hour. The regular price of the services is set at ₹245 per hour.
Urban Company has claimed its ‘Insta Maid’ partners will receive free health insurance, and life and accidental coverage. According to the media reports, the workers who log in for at least six hours per day, 22 days a month, will likely make a minimum of ₹
20,000.
Urban Company, emphasised its commitment to the ‘dignity of labour’ in its promotional materials. The co-founder of Urban Company, Varun Khaitan, also described ‘Insta Maid’ as the company’s response to on-demand professional household help.
Khaitan, in his social media post stated, “This is the future of domestic work in India – a win-win for all!”
Instamaids/Instahelp is our answer to on-demand professional household help that we all need. We are thrilled to see the consumer response and support from well wishers.
As with all services on UC, we will build it with obsession for both customer service and partner dignity. We… https://t.co/Tl1J0yKnMs— Varun Khaitan (@varunkhaitan) March 14, 2025
The launch of UC’s services has triggered sharp criticism from social media users, activists, and gig worker unions alike. Responding to Urban Company’s social media post, people claimed that their service was a violation of human rights.
An account noted that the company should stop exploiting cheap labour in the name of ‘innovation’. Another retorted that Indian start-ups have begun building applications to match demand with supply with little expertise. They added that the companies then label it as an ‘innovation’ because they have labour to exploit.
This is violation of Human rights , stop exploiting cheap labour in the name of “Innovation” and shit
— NOVA (@Astron_Nova) March 14, 2025
Indian start ups have started building apps just to match demand with supply with the expertise level of a 12th grade cs students and they call it innovation just because they have cheap labour to exploit https://t.co/zZdyj5uGYj
— shubi (@devilem0ji) March 14, 2025
Meanwhile, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) have strongly condemned the model, calling it exploitative and demanding its immediate suspension.
Shaik Salauddin, who is the National General Secretary of IFAT and Founder President of TGPWU, slammed Urban Company for treating its workers as ‘dispensable’. He said that the model sets unrealistic expectations for work while failing to provide any social security or job stability.
Calling it modern-day servitude, Salauddin said that Urban Company has done so previously through the enforcement of strict rating systems. The firm, he said in a statement, imposes high platform commissions and hands out arbitrary penalties to workers.
He cautioned that this approach would only worsen working conditions, pushing domestic workers into high-pressure situations with few protections.
IFAT also expressed discontent that Urban Company did not speak with worker unions and regulatory bodies before the service’s launch. The union urged Urban Company to collaborate with worker representatives and labour rights organisations to guarantee fair wages, social security, and safe working conditions before moving forward with the model.
Meanwhile, the organisation also called for government action to regulate gig work and curb further exploitation. Salauddin asserted that speed cannot come at the cost of dignity. He said gig and platform domestic workers deserve fair pay, social protections and safe work environments.
