India, May 4 -- In a growing crisis for EV ride-hailing startup BluSmart, around 80 of its drivers gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar today, protesting job losses and urging the central government to intervene.

The drivers, jobless since BluSmart abruptly suspended operations in April, urged the government to take over the company's operations and rehire its workforce. They also called for legislation guaranteeing severance pay for gig workers when platforms shut down.

The lives of BluSmart drivers came to a standstill on April 17, when the BluSmart driver app unexpectedly displayed a 'Return to Hub' message. Drivers initially assumed it was a routine audit procedure, but soon realised that the company had silently halted services, offer...