Bihar Man’s ‘LinkedIn For Daily Wage Workers’ Helps 1 Lakh Find Jobs, Internet Calls It ‘Perfect Use Of Social Media’ | Viral News

The platform brings dignity, fair pay and opportunities. (Representative Image)

Chandrashekhar Mandal from Bihar has created Digital Labour Chowk, often called India’s “LinkedIn for daily wage workers.” The platform connects labourers like masons, painters, and cleaners with employers in cities like Bihar, Noida, and Delhi.

Launched in 2020 with limited resources, it now supports over 1 lakh workers, lists more than 3,000 jobs, and helps hire about 1,000 workers daily. The app replaces traditional labour chowks with verified profiles, fair wages, and access to social security and government schemes, transforming the informal job market.

The idea came to him during his early days in Delhi. On a rainy day, Chandrashekhar noticed daily wage workers at a labour chowk opposite his office, struggling to find work while sheltering from the downpour. Memories of his own family’s struggles in Bihar reminded him of the hardships faced by migrant workers. “Isn’t there a better way for these workers to find jobs? While the entire world is going digital, why not labour chowks?” he wondered as quoted by The Better India.

The COVID-19 lockdown further strengthened his resolve. Migrant workers walked for days to reach home, facing hunger and exhaustion. Chandrashekhar realised there was a pressing need for an online platform to provide work opportunities closer to home, giving workers dignity and stability.

Early Inspiration and Challenges

Chandrashekhar grew up in Ami village, Darbhanga, Bihar, a place with limited facilities. He had seen relatives migrate to cities in search of work, often returning empty-handed or exhausted. Witnessing daily labour chowks in Noida, with hundreds waiting under harsh conditions for temporary work, motivated him to find a solution.

“Almost 100 men and women would gather at that chowk daily, be it in 45 degrees heat or pouring rain. While some would get work, most would just have their lunch and head back, dejected,” he recalled as quoted by The Better India.

After assessing labour chowks across Bihar, Noida, and Delhi for four months, Chandrashekhar realised the scale of the problem. India’s construction sector employs over 71 million workers, and more than 80 per cent are unskilled. He saw a clear gap: blue-collar workers needed the same digital access to jobs as white-collar workers.

Building Digital Labour Chowk

In September 2020, Chandrashekhar quit his job with just Rs 20,000, facing family concerns and financial uncertainty. He registered Digital Labour Chowk and secured his first investor in Pune, receiving Rs 10 lakh in August 2021.

With a small team, he built the website and app, then worked on bringing workers and employers on board.

To sign up workers, his team partnered with mobile shops and small grocery stores near labour chowks. They explained the platform and offered small incentives like cold drinks or chai. Contractors and companies were approached through builders’ associations, RERA, and online groups.

How the Platform Works

Employers post jobs with details like location, wages, duration, and accommodation. Workers create profiles listing skills, experience, and wage expectations.

The app also plans digital labour cards to give workers a credible identity and performance-based incentives. Jobs are free for workers, while companies pay after ten connections.

Impact So Far

According to The Better India, workers like Shrawan Kumar from Darbhanga now earn in one year what they used to earn in three years before joining Digital Labour Chowk. They no longer stand in the heat daily searching for work.

Contractors like Azhar Ansari from Uttar Pradesh find it easier to hire skilled labour through the app. With over 500 to 1,000 jobs posted daily, Digital Labour Chowk has already improved the lives of thousands of workers.

Chandrashekhar’s goal is to give workers a recognised identity, make the informal job market more organised, and create better local work opportunities for them.