Abstract
Domestic work in India constitutes a vast yet unregulated sector. This study employs a service centric approach to explore the systemic challenges faced by domestic workers. Through a mixed - methods approach including in - depth interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and service design analysis, we uncover key findings related to employment precarity, employer - worker power dynamics, and the informal nature of hiring practices. Our research highlights critical gaps in legal protections, lack of standardized employment contracts, and the socio - cultural barriers reinforcing domestic work as undervalued labour. Using stakeholder mapping, ecosystem analysis, and service blueprints, we identify intervention opportunities for formalizing domestic work, improving hiring mechanisms, and leveraging digital platforms for transparency and security. The study concludes with actionable, scalable recommendations across community, district, state, and national levels that prioritize the dignity and rights of domestic workers.
Keywords
Domestic work, informal labour services, design, human - centered service research and design, socio - economic vulnerability
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/servdes2025.112
Citation
Mudukutore, R.S., Chaudhary, S., Roy, D., Shetye, V.,and Kayastha, M.(2025) Invisible Hands, Indispensable Work: Human centered systemic insights into India’s informal service of Domestic Work, in Mahamuni, R., Onkar, P. (eds.), ServDes 2025: Empowering Diversity, Nurturing Lasting Impact, 6–10 October, Hyderabad, India. https://doi.org/10.21606/servdes2025.112
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Invisible Hands, Indispensable Work: Human centered systemic insights into India’s informal service of Domestic Work
Domestic work in India constitutes a vast yet unregulated sector. This study employs a service centric approach to explore the systemic challenges faced by domestic workers. Through a mixed - methods approach including in - depth interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and service design analysis, we uncover key findings related to employment precarity, employer - worker power dynamics, and the informal nature of hiring practices. Our research highlights critical gaps in legal protections, lack of standardized employment contracts, and the socio - cultural barriers reinforcing domestic work as undervalued labour. Using stakeholder mapping, ecosystem analysis, and service blueprints, we identify intervention opportunities for formalizing domestic work, improving hiring mechanisms, and leveraging digital platforms for transparency and security. The study concludes with actionable, scalable recommendations across community, district, state, and national levels that prioritize the dignity and rights of domestic workers.