This study investigates the transformation of social capital within the Irula tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India, focusing on how traditional practices and communal bonds adapt in the face of modernization, urban migration, and generational shifts. Adopting a qualitative phenomenological approach, ten Irula elders were selected using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in the local language and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Themes were derived inductively to ensure cultural and contextual sensitivities. Seven key themes emerged: trust and reciprocity, community engagement, inter-generational knowledge transmission, the impact of technology, resilience of social capital, redefinition of community, and cultural identity. The findings reveal that collective resilience persists during crises while everyday mutual aid and cultural exchange weaken. Social capital is not disappearing but reconfiguring—activated selectively based on needs and generational experience. This study extends classical social and cultural capital theories by situating them in an indigenous context. From this perspective, the significance of these studies for future research, applications, and services should be carefully evaluated. Practical implications emphasize the need for culturally embedded policies, intergenerational programmes, and digital tools to support continuity. This research affirms that tradition and change coexist, reflecting the adaptive nature of indigenous social structures in contemporary society. Future research could explore how digital platforms and participatory methods can be leveraged to enhance cultural transmission and strengthen intergenerational ties.

Purpose: This study explored the lived experiences of food delivery riders in India’s platform economy, focusing on psychosocial, physical, and emotional challenges embedded in their daily work. It critically examines how precarity, emotional labor, and symbolic violence shape riders’ well-being. Methods: This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 food delivery riders from an urban district in South India, who participated anonymously. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Surviving precision, embodied exhaustion, emotional discipline under surveillance, internalized struggles, and fragmented routines emerged as key themes. Participants described working under difficult climatic conditions and persistent physical pain, reflecting the precarious nature of platform-based delivery work. They also struggled to maintain constant politeness with customers while being monitored through algorithmic surveillance. This findings reveal significant psychosocial burdens, including physical strain, emotional fatigue, social withdrawal, experience of disrespect, internalization of blame, and economic insecurity. Conclusions: Platform work reinforces structural precarity, emotional suppression, and symbolic exclusion, profoundly shaping the health and well-being of food delivery workers. These findings highlight the need for policy reforms to protect gig workers’ mental health, dignity, and social inclusion, and advocating for the psychosocially sensitive governance of digital labor platforms.