Indian Railways has quietly stepped into one of the most powerful business positions in Asia, and the numbers behind it are staggering. With a daily footfall of three and a half crore passengers and a network that touches seven thousand stations, the system has now become the single biggest opportunity for quick service restaurant brands looking for scale without heavy customer acquisition costs. The Railway Board’s recent approval for premium, single brand food outlets has opened the doors for major national and international names to enter a space that was untouched for decades.

This shift is more than a policy update. It marks a transformation in how India eats while travelling. Passengers who once settled for basic meals can now look forward to familiar favourites from well known chains. For brands, the appeal is even stronger. Zero customer acquisition cost, guaranteed daily visibility, and the chance to serve millions without building expensive high street stores make railway stations one of the most desirable new frontiers.

Large QSR companies are already preparing their plans for station based formats. The concourses offer steady traffic throughout the day rather than a few peak hours, which makes the economics far more attractive. Smaller regional brands also see this as their moment to enter a national platform without massive marketing budgets.

This move is expected to lift the overall food service ecosystem inside the railways. Better hygiene standards, unified pricing, and improved customer experience can reshape how travellers interact with food on long routes and short commutes alike. With such a massive captive audience and a supportive policy environment, Indian Railways has positioned itself as the most promising QSR playground in Asia for the years ahead.

India has taken a significant step toward formalising the gig economy by mandating online platforms to contribute to worker welfare. Under the newly implemented Labour Codes, companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, and Uber are now required to allocate up to 2 percent of their annual turnover, capped at 5 percent of payments made to gig workers, to a centralised Social Security Fund. This is the first time Indian law has formally defined aggregators, gig workers, and platform workers.

The Social Security Fund will finance a range of welfare schemes, including health and life insurance, provident fund support, maternity benefits, and emergency assistance. Authorities aim to ensure that workers who frequently migrate across states can access benefits seamlessly. To achieve this, each gig and platform worker will receive an Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number, or UAN. The UAN will provide portability, facilitate verification, and streamline disbursement of benefits across India’s rapidly growing digital labour market.

The Labour Codes also extend traditional employment benefits to unorganised sector workers, including employee state insurance where applicable. Digital compliance systems are being introduced to speed up processing, reduce bureaucracy, and improve transparency. Additionally, a portion of funds generated from penalties under labour regulations will flow into the Social Security Fund, reinforcing its financial base.

Industry stakeholders have largely welcomed the initiative. An Uber spokesperson noted that the company looks forward to collaborating with the government for smooth implementation. Analysts say the move could provide long-term stability to India’s gig economy, which has faced criticism for a lack of social safety nets despite rapid expansion.

With millions of delivery and service workers relying on platforms for income, the government’s directive represents a crucial attempt to balance flexibility with security. As implementation progresses, the focus will shift to ensuring compliance by platforms and accessibility for workers, potentially creating a more structured and resilient gig economy across India.