Techno-Stress, Algorithmic Governance, and Mental Health in the Gig Economy: A Meta-Synthesis of Policy Frameworks and Empirical Findings for Viksit Bharat @2047

Abstract As India marches toward its Viksit Bharat @2047 mandate, digital labor platforms have transitioned from temporary novelty to a primary engine of urban employment. Projections by NITI Aayog and the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute indicate that the country’s platform workforce will grow from under eight million in 2021 to over sixty million by mid-century. Yet, beneath this economic expansion lies an unprecedented structural change: the complete substitution of human supervisory management with algorithmic governance. Through dynamic pricing engines, automated order dispatch systems, real-time GPS tracking, and instant automated penalties, digital platforms have introduced a silent crisis of occupational mental health. This paper synthesizes empirical literature, policy documents, and global platform benchmarks (including the Fairwork India Ratings) through the combined lens of Technostress Theory and Self-Determination Theory. We map how algorithmic control systematically erodes worker autonomy, induces chronic hyper-vigilance, and fosters severe financial precarity across major Indian urban hubs. We argue that national targets for developed nation status (@2047) cannot be sustained if built upon an overworked and psychologically depleted workforce. Finally, we outline a human-centric policy pathway—the Algorithmic Decency and Human Capital Framework (ADHCF)—mandating algorithmic transparency, human rights of appeal against automated deactivations, and the integration of mental health care into state social security boards.