Maid trouble no more: Urban India switches to a new mode of house help hiring

Urban homes in India are increasingly turning to app-based domestic help services for more and more of household chores -- from unpacking suitcases and organising wardrobes to peeling pomegranates and garlic, and preparing homes for weekend gatherings, The Times of India reported on February 18. What began as a convenience-led trial is now gaining scale across parts of Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi NCR, fuelled by repeat usage and rapid supply expansion, alongside routine tasks such as dishwashing and laundry.

According to ToI's report (by Supriya Roy), Bengaluru-based Snabbit has expanded sharply over the past few months. The platform has grown from around 100,000 monthly jobs in August 2025 to a current run rate of 10 lakh monthly jobs, marking a tenfold rise in under six months. Founder and chief executive Aayush Agarwal said the company positions itself as a dependable backup for households, stepping in during absenteeism, providing ad hoc support or taking on additional work, and offering the assurance of on-demand assistance.

Consumers in many major urban neighbourhoods are increasingly integrating such services into their routines. A resident of Bellandur said she uses the app roughly twice a month, primarily when her regular domestic worker is unavailable or when hosting guests.

A similar growth pattern is visible at Urban Company, data shows. Its InstaHelp vertical, launched last year, recorded 468,000 orders in October 2025 within eight months of its debut, according to an earlier shareholder letter. During the October–December quarter, InstaHelp reported 1.6 million orders, translating into average monthly volumes of more than 500,000.

Founder and chief executive Abhiraj Singh Bhal told ToI that the company is witnessing rapid penetration in the micro-markets where it operates, with encouraging levels of customer usage and retention.

However, Urban Company also disclosed that InstaHelp posted an adjusted EBITDA loss of Rs 44 crore in the quarter, reflecting investments in onboarding supply partners, training and providing early earnings support. (EBITDA is a measure of a company’s operating performance and profitability.)

On the supply side, the model differs from traditional gig structures. Service professionals on Snabbit sign up for fixed shifts and earn between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 per month depending on the duration of the shift, with income assured regardless of the number of jobs allocated during that period. Comparable pay structures are in place across competing platforms.

Investors tracking the segment believe long-term sustainability will hinge less on headline order growth and more on repeat behaviour. Rahul Taneja, partner at Lightspeed, said gross order growth is an outcome metric, while frequency and retention are more critical indicators of durability. In certain high-frequency neighbourhoods, customers are already booking services up to eight times a month. In these pockets, repeat usage metrics are stronger than those seen in the early months of food delivery or quick commerce platforms.

Consultants monitoring the market have noted that the services currently act as a supplementary layer rather than a replacement for full-time domestic staff. Artham Khetan, engagement manager at Redseer Strategy Consultants, told the newspaper the platforms are primarily stepping in when regular help is unavailable, instead of substituting for full-time domestic workers.