In a country where millions of daily wage workers struggle to find steady employment, Chandrashekhar Mandal from Bihar has found an innovative solution. His creation, Digital Labour Chowk, often dubbed India’s “LinkedIn for daily wage workers,” has connected over 1 lakh labourers with verified jobs, transforming lives and setting a new benchmark for social entrepreneurship.

The Spark That Started It All

The idea for Digital Labour Chowk came from a simple, yet deeply human observation. During his early days in Delhi, Chandrashekhar noticed daily wage workers huddled at a labour chowk across his office on a rainy day. Many were left without work, while others struggled to negotiate fair wages. Memories of his own family’s struggles in Bihar, where migration for work often led to exhaustion or disappointment, inspired him to find a better solution.

Understanding the Problem

Chandrashekhar’s roots in Ami village, Darbhanga, Bihar, gave him firsthand insight into the hardships faced by migrant workers. Watching relatives migrate to cities in search of work, only to return empty-handed, instilled a sense of responsibility to create change. He spent four months visiting labour chowks in Bihar, Noida, and Delhi, studying the daily grind of these workers.

“Almost 100 men and women would gather at that chowk daily, be it in 45-degree heat or pouring rain. While some got work, most just had their lunch and went back dejected,” he recalled.

With India’s construction sector employing over 71 million workers, most unskilled, the gap was clear. While white-collar jobs had gone digital, blue-collar workers still relied on traditional, chaotic methods to find work.

Building Digital Labour Chowk

In September 2020, Chandrashekhar took a leap of faith. Leaving his job with only Rs 20,000 in hand, he faced family concerns and financial uncertainty but was determined to create change. He registered Digital Labour Chowk and, in August 2021, received his first investor funding of Rs 10 lakh from Pune. With a small but dedicated team, he developed the website and mobile app, focusing on bringing both workers and employers onto the platform. To sign up labourers, the team partnered with local mobile shops and small grocery stores near labour chowks, offering small incentives like chai or cold drinks. Employers were approached via builders’ associations, RERA, and online groups.

How the Platform Works

Digital Labour Chowk bridges the gap between workers and employers with simplicity and efficiency. Labourers create profiles on the platform, detailing their skills, work experience, and wage expectations. The app also plans to introduce digital labour cards, giving workers a credible identity and performance-based incentives. On the other side, contractors and companies can post job details, including location, wages, duration, and accommodation, and they pay only after ten successful connections. 

With over 3,000 jobs listed and 1,000 workers hired daily, Digital Labour Chowk has significantly reduced the uncertainty, long hours, and harsh conditions that were once a part of traditional labour chowk. He aims to create recognized identities for daily wage workers, organize the informal job market, and generate better local employment opportunities.

A Model for Social Innovation

Digital Labour Chowk stands as an example for how technology can bridge gaps in India’s informal sector. Chandrashekhar Mandal’s story is a reminder that innovation is not just about high-tech gadgets it’s about solving real human problems with empathy, creativity, and persistence. From a small idea sparked by a rainy day in Delhi to a platform supporting over 1 lakh workers across Bihar, Noida, and Delhi, Digital Labour Chowk proves that social media and digital tools can be powerful instruments of change, especially when they are designed to serve those who need them the most.