Uber, Eternal, Porter Exit Karnataka Gig Workers Welfare Board
Uber, Eternal, and Porter have reportedly withdrawn from the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board. The companies are challenging the state's gig worker law in court.
Ride-hailing company Uber, logistics firm Porter, and delivery service Eternal have reportedly exited the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board. This withdrawal comes as the companies are legally challenging the state's new gig worker legislation.
The companies were members of the welfare board established under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025. They stated their decision to leave stems from their legal opposition to the law itself, as they do not wish to be part of a statutory body created under legislation they have challenged.
While the Karnataka High Court has declined to stay the law, it has provided interim protection from coercive actions for companies involved in the litigation, including Eternal, Swiggy, Zepto, and Urban Company. Uber also filed its challenge last month, and the court has extended similar interim protection to the company.
Amazon India, also represented on the board, has remained a member as it is not involved in the current legal disputes. The Karnataka government is now working to fill the vacancies, with Delhivery, Namma Yatri, and Yulu agreeing to join. The core of the legal challenge is that the state law creates a separate social security framework, potentially overlapping with existing central government regulations, and imposing additional costs and compliance burdens on platforms.