WorkIndia Raises INR 97 Cr To Formalise Blue Collar Hiring

SUMMARY

The round was led by Avishkaar Capital, which invested INR 75 Cr ($83K), while existing investor BEENEXT Capital contributed INR 22 Cr ($24K)

The company will use these funds to upgrade its tech stack and tap high demand markets in towns and cities beyond tier I

WorkIndia had previously raised $12 Mn in pre-series B round completed in 2023

WorkIndia, a recruitment platform for blue and grey collar workers, has raised INR 97 Cr ($10.8 Mn) in funding for its Series B round. The round was led by Avishkaar Capital, which invested INR 75 Cr ($8.3 Mn), while existing investor BEENEXT Capital poured in the remainder INR 22 Cr ($2.5 Mn).

The startup intends to utilise the funds to upgrade its platform, improve job matching services for employers and job seekers and tap high demand markets.

“This funding comes at the perfect time as we enter our next growth phase. Blue and grey-collar workers are the backbone of India’s economy. Our mission is simple: create a transparent, tech-driven job platform for this workforce,” WorkIndia cofounder and CEO Nilesh Dungarwal said in a statement.

Founded in 2015 by Dungarwal, Kunal Patil and Moiz Arsiwala, the Bengaluru based startup connects employers and blue and grey collar workers looking for work opportunities across 50 job categories. Its app has over 10 Mn downloads on the Google Playstore and posts jobs by over 38,000 employers.

The job categories live on the startup’s platform include delivery, retail, telecalling, field sales, and warehouse operations, among others. Beyond this, it also provides hiring solutions to MSMEs and small businesses in the country.

Prior to this round, the startup had raised over $20 Mn from investors like Xiaomi, Asuka Asset Management, SBI Holdings, among others.

The fresh fundraise for the startup comes at a time when India’s blue-collar job market is booming. In 2025, blue- and grey-collar employment in India expanded at the behest of manufacturing recovery, infrastructure spending, logistics and the rise of quick commerce and ecommerce operations.

Hiring intent for frontline and semi-skilled roles rose by about high single digits to low double digits, with demand spreading beyond metros into tier-II and tier-III cities. This is the market that WorkIndia is especially targeting.

The startup’s service areas are especially geared towards non-metro cities where formal hiring channels are limited, making it tough to connect recruiters and job seekers. WorkIndia has also created a fraud detection system that safeguards job seekers who might fall prey to fake job postings.

While not disclosing any numbers, the startup claims to have turned profitable in FY25, becoming the “first” in the blue collar recruitment sector.

For FY24, WorkIndia managed to trim losses by 39% YoY to INR 30.1 Cr. Its operating revenue rose 21% YoY to INR 65.8 Cr in the fiscal year.

In terms of hiring for blue and grey collar roles, WorkIndia competes with Apna and Awign. However, the space continues to grapple with low digitisation and information asymmetry that makes it difficult for job seekers to connect directly with recruiters.