New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- For a growing number of gig workers-food delivery riders, cab drivers, newspaper vendors-filming their daily work for social media now brings both extra income and the recognition their day jobs rarely do. But the trade-off is a closed loop, where their day jobs become the identity their content depends on.

One such gig worker is Deepak Saini, a newspaper delivery worker in Haryana. Each morning, Saini delivers papers by motorcycle, tossing folded copies into balconies with practised precision. In the evening, he uploads videos of the same routine to YouTube and Instagram, where his work has drawn more than 77,100 and 117,000 followers, respectively.

Saini, who appeared in reality TV show India's Got Talent in Decem...