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OTP Please: Online Buyers, Sellers and Gig Workers in South Asia
A great shift is underway in how we buy, eat, move, work and sell owing to technological intervention. Tech platforms—whether a Swiggy, Amazon or Uber in India, a Foodpanda in Pakistan or a Pathao in Bangladesh or Nepal—have eased the pressures of modern life. They have freed up our time, provided jobs to grateful millions and delivered guilty pleasures and last-minute necessities to online buyers.
But behind the dazzle of the digital, much is opaque. Gig workers live a precarious life while internet retailers cope with the oppressive rules of global behemoths. Consumers wonder if there are are consequences to instant gratification and the extreme ease of living.
OTP Please delves into the wondrous new world of electronic commerce by connecting diverse stories and perspectives gathered across South Asia, from Peshawar to Patna and Colombo to Kathmandu. It explores the emotional dynamics between the different actors on this stage, the workings of tech companies and the implications for policy. Deeply researched and breezily narrated, it is essential reading to understand this extraordinary digital age that we inhabit.
But behind the dazzle of the digital, much is opaque. Gig workers live a precarious life while internet retailers cope with the oppressive rules of global behemoths. Consumers wonder if there are are consequences to instant gratification and the extreme ease of living.
OTP Please delves into the wondrous new world of electronic commerce by connecting diverse stories and perspectives gathered across South Asia, from Peshawar to Patna and Colombo to Kathmandu. It explores the emotional dynamics between the different actors on this stage, the workings of tech companies and the implications for policy. Deeply researched and breezily narrated, it is essential reading to understand this extraordinary digital age that we inhabit.
- GenresNonfictionIndia
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 8, 2025
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121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 25, 2025
You and I log into social media everyday and see people complaining.
The Uber driver who refused to turn on the AC.
The Urban Company beautician who is an hour late.
The Swiggy guy who forgot two packets out of five on the counter.
What do we not see?
We don't see blocked IDs after a rider can't deliver due to a political rally.
We don't see loss of income overnight for a single mother.
We don't see road and physical accidents not getting compensated.
If in the last one year, you've ordered from Zomato, Zepto'd something, laughed at a cute pun from Blinkit's marketing team or booked something via Porter - You HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.
Vandana Vasudevan's spin on the book is especially interesting because she moves away from the "Company v/s Seller v/s gig worker" dynamic to universal emotions experience by all stakeholders - from freedom to guilt to (perhaps my favourite chapter) oppression.
PS: I run ShelfChat, a high-engagement, no-frills reading group. OTP Please, published by Penguin Random House was one of my 5 must-reads from July.
DM to join the group and get serious about reading.
The Uber driver who refused to turn on the AC.
The Urban Company beautician who is an hour late.
The Swiggy guy who forgot two packets out of five on the counter.
What do we not see?
We don't see blocked IDs after a rider can't deliver due to a political rally.
We don't see loss of income overnight for a single mother.
We don't see road and physical accidents not getting compensated.
If in the last one year, you've ordered from Zomato, Zepto'd something, laughed at a cute pun from Blinkit's marketing team or booked something via Porter - You HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.
Vandana Vasudevan's spin on the book is especially interesting because she moves away from the "Company v/s Seller v/s gig worker" dynamic to universal emotions experience by all stakeholders - from freedom to guilt to (perhaps my favourite chapter) oppression.
PS: I run ShelfChat, a high-engagement, no-frills reading group. OTP Please, published by Penguin Random House was one of my 5 must-reads from July.
DM to join the group and get serious about reading.
November 12, 2025
The author pens a well-researched tome on gig workers and online commerce - a theme hitherto unexplored in developmental literature. The book documents the travails of such workers across South Asia through patient one-to-one interviews (from Swiggy delivery boys to Amazon warehouse workers) and emotion-based chapters (guilt, anxiety, freedom etc). The author resists broad brushstrokes and paints a mixed picture of this new world with words of caution about it's future. This book is an important addition to our understanding of jobs and development in the South Asian perspective.
September 21, 2025
A well-researched and thoughtfully written piece that offers a balanced view of delivery services in South Asia, especially India. As a reader, I could feel the emotions woven through each section, which the author organized to reflect the experiences of both consumers and suppliers. It’s fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of the quick-delivery services we often take for granted.
July 27, 2025
-Who Delivered Your Last Order?-
Review of 'OTP Please?' by Vandana Vasudevan
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎𝐬, 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, '𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐆𝐨𝐝.' 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐒 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟎."
Vandana Vasudevan explores the multi dimensional effect of the culture of 'online delivery' in her non-fic OTP Please. Reduced to faceless uniforms who deliver our food, sometimes huffing and puffing to meet the time limit. When did you last day thank you to them? Or offered a glass of water? Or even a tip, which sounds unbelievable to many.
The popularity of any topic/issue/subject in India is gauged by Hindi Film Industry, namely Bollywood. If it's in Bollywood, it must be popular. Kapil Sharma's movie Zwigato, directed by Nandita Das mirrored the tough life of a daily gig worker. In her book, Vasudevan goes a step ahead and splits the narrative into the emotions, not only of the gig worker but of the customer and the seller too. These are- pleasure, guilt, gratitude, anger, freedom, oppression, anxiety, isolation and courage.
The author has strewn the book with many anecdotes. Have a look at this-
"A viewer shared how he ordered a bottle of Hajmola from Amazon for Rs 50 to notch up the bill to Rs1000 to avail of a discount running at that time. Amazon decided to send the Hajmola separately. The small fifty-rupee bottle came in an outsized cardboard box, covered with thermocol safety layers, delivered from another state after travelling 600 kilometres. The packaging was probably costlier than the item it contained, writes the customer, laughing emojis expressing the absurdity of it all. That's how important the customer is to the company."
The author doesn't restrict herself to India but explores the online delivery apps of Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also. These apps have no doubt eased the pressures of modern life. They have freed up our time, provided jobs to grateful millions and delivered guilty pleasures and last-minute necessities to online buyers. But behind the dazzle of the digital, gig workers live a precarious life while internet retailers cope with the oppressive rules of global behemoths.
Read this to know more about the gig economy.
Review of 'OTP Please?' by Vandana Vasudevan
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎𝐬, 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, '𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐆𝐨𝐝.' 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐒 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟎."
Vandana Vasudevan explores the multi dimensional effect of the culture of 'online delivery' in her non-fic OTP Please. Reduced to faceless uniforms who deliver our food, sometimes huffing and puffing to meet the time limit. When did you last day thank you to them? Or offered a glass of water? Or even a tip, which sounds unbelievable to many.
The popularity of any topic/issue/subject in India is gauged by Hindi Film Industry, namely Bollywood. If it's in Bollywood, it must be popular. Kapil Sharma's movie Zwigato, directed by Nandita Das mirrored the tough life of a daily gig worker. In her book, Vasudevan goes a step ahead and splits the narrative into the emotions, not only of the gig worker but of the customer and the seller too. These are- pleasure, guilt, gratitude, anger, freedom, oppression, anxiety, isolation and courage.
The author has strewn the book with many anecdotes. Have a look at this-
"A viewer shared how he ordered a bottle of Hajmola from Amazon for Rs 50 to notch up the bill to Rs1000 to avail of a discount running at that time. Amazon decided to send the Hajmola separately. The small fifty-rupee bottle came in an outsized cardboard box, covered with thermocol safety layers, delivered from another state after travelling 600 kilometres. The packaging was probably costlier than the item it contained, writes the customer, laughing emojis expressing the absurdity of it all. That's how important the customer is to the company."
The author doesn't restrict herself to India but explores the online delivery apps of Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also. These apps have no doubt eased the pressures of modern life. They have freed up our time, provided jobs to grateful millions and delivered guilty pleasures and last-minute necessities to online buyers. But behind the dazzle of the digital, gig workers live a precarious life while internet retailers cope with the oppressive rules of global behemoths.
Read this to know more about the gig economy.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews