India, Sept. 8 -- It's festive season again and in Bengaluru's upscale neighbourhoods, the sight of women in colourful uniforms - black, purple, pink or green - is becoming too commonplace to ignore. Most of these women, gig workers for the likes of Urban Company, Snabbit or Pronto, are stationed just outside the gates of the large community that they visit routinely.

Many of them spend hours waiting for the next order or a ride back home. In inclement weather, there's no shelter or cover. Some sit on the back of a parked motorbike or perch themselves at a bus stop if there's one nearby. Many often mill at roadside tea stalls, if they find a safe space.

That last part is key. A few have taken to the steps of a nearby temple, phone in ha...