India's Construction Sector Gets 'LinkedIn' With Digital Labour Chowk
India's construction sector, employing over 71 million workers, is in dire need of digitalisation. Chandrashekhar Mandal, a Bihar native, recognised this gap and launched Digital Labour Chowk, a platform likened to India's 'LinkedIn for daily wage workers'.
Mandal, hailing from Ami village in Darbhanga, Bihar, was inspired to create a solution for daily labour chowks after witnessing workers' struggles firsthand. In September 2020, he quit his job with just Rs 20,000, facing family concerns and financial uncertainty, to establish Digital Labour Chowk.
The platform connects labourers such as masons, painters, and cleaners with employers in cities like Bihar, Noida, and Delhi. It currently serves over 1 lakh workers, lists more than 3,000 jobs, and facilitates around 1,000 daily hires. Mandal's vision is to transform the informal job market by replacing traditional labour chowks with verified profiles, fair wages, and access to social security and government schemes. The platform aims to introduce digital labour cards, providing workers with verified identities and performance-based incentives.
Digital Labour Chowk, founded by Chandrashekhar Mandal, is making strides in connecting India's vast construction workforce with job opportunities. With over 80% of workers being unskilled, the platform's impact on the sector is significant. As it continues to grow, Digital Labour Chowk is poised to revolutionise the way daily wage workers find employment.
