The gig economy is on the rise, not just in the US but also in India. With gig jobs gaining popularity among the youth and companies looking for cost-effective and efficient hiring solutions, the need for a reliable platform has never been greater. Enter Awign, a Bengaluru-based startup that is revolutionizing gig workforce hiring and management.
Founded in 2016 by IIT alumni Annanya Sarthak, Gurpreet Singh, and Praveen Sah, Awign aims to bridge the gap between companies and gig workers. The platform takes care of everything. It identifies and trains gig workers. After that, it oversees their work and ensures successful task completion.
In this post, The Inspiring Chapters has explored the reasons behind starting Awign, how it works and its future plans.
The Idea Behind Starting Awign
Awign’s inception was inspired by the founders’ vision to address a common challenge faced by companies – to outsource work without making risky upfront investments in permanent staff. At the same time, they noticed a significant segment of young individuals seeking opportunities to work, learn, and earn. The idea of bridging these two needs gave birth to Awign.
Awign stands out as an industry-agnostic platform, providing manpower solutions across various sectors, including FMCG, BFSI, E-commerce, Retail, and more. Their innovative approach focuses on billing enterprises based on outcomes achieved on the ground, not on manpower, creating a win-win situation for both employers and gig workers.
How Awign Works
Awign’s process is designed to deliver top-notch results efficiently.
Client Requirement
Enterprises share their requirements, such as volume, quality, and commercials, with Awign.
Project Configuration
Detailed execution workflows are defined and captured on various interfaces – app for gig workers, the war room (Awign’s internal team), and the client dashboard.
Publish
Job listings are made available on the platform for gig workers to view and apply.
Skill Assessment
Gig workers are assessed for their required skills and provided with appropriate training.
Task Allocation
An intelligent allocation engine ensures that every micro-task is assigned to the most suitable gig worker. The assignment algorithm is based on various parameters, including proximity, availability, and past performance.
Fulfilment & Quality Control
Awign’s fulfilment team closely monitors on-ground performance in real-time, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
Client Dashboard of Awign
Clients get full visibility of the ongoing tasks across multiple cities and receive valuable insights for decision-making.
Funding, Marketing Strategies and Growth
Till date, Awign has received funding of $20.5 million. Prominent investors in the company include Eagle10 Ventures, Work10M, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Lumis Partners, Mynavi Corporation, Unitus Ventures, Bertelsmann India Investments, and Amicus Capital Partners.
Awign adopted a strategic approach to market its platform effectively. By leveraging campus ambassadors in colleges, they tapped into a supply pool of talented and enthusiastic college students looking to learn and earn. This organic growth strategy proved to be a game-changer.
The company’s focused approach in reaching out to enterprises with specific requirements in targeted verticals and industries also contributed to its success. Over time, word-of-mouth and referrals have played a significant role in driving new customers to Awign.
Challenges and Future Plans of Awign
Awign faced the challenge of ensuring quality work and adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs). To overcome this, they invested heavily in their product, reducing training time for gig workers and ensuring high-quality outcomes.
As for the future, Awign aims to become a $100 million company in terms of top-line revenue within the next two years. With its operational profitability and robust growth, Awign is well on its way to nurturing a happier world of work. Awign’s commitment to uplifting the gig workforce and providing a seamless platform for enterprises makes it a trailblazer in India’s gig economy sector. As the gig economy continues to grow, Awign stands as a beacon of opportunity and empowerment for India’s gig workers and forward-thinking businesses.
