Urban Company Launches 15-Minute "Insta Maid" Service, Internet Reacts

Home Services firm Urban Company's (UC) latest venture, which promises house help within 15 minutes, has sparked a debate online. The service, called "Insta Maids", offers tasks like cleaning, cooking, and mopping at an introductory rate of Rs 49 per hour. The experimental offering is at present available in select areas of Mumbai, UC said in an X post. It also claimed that its 'Insta Maid' partners will receive free health insurance, and life and accidental coverage. 

"At Urban Company, we are deeply committed to the well-being of our service partners. In this new service offering, partners earn Rs 150-180 per hour, along with free health insurance and on-the-job life & accidental insurance. Partners working for 132 hours per month (22 days x 6 hours per day) are assured earnings of at least Rs 20,000 per month," the X post read. 

"For our customers, the introductory pricing of Rs 49 per hour is a limited-time offer. As the service scales, prices will adjust to ensure both sustainable earnings for our partners and viable economics for our business," it added. 

Take a look below: 

We are thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response to our newly launched service, “Insta Maids / Insta Help”, in Mumbai. Currently, the service is in its pilot phase, and we look forward to expanding it to other cities soon.

At Urban Company, we are deeply committed to the…

— Urban Company (@urbancompany_UC) March 14, 2025

In the X post, Urban Company also emphasised its commitment to the "dignity of labour". Separately, its co-founder, Varun Khaitan, also described 'Insta Maid' as the company's response to on-demand professional household help. In a social media, Mr Khaitan stated, "This is the future of domestic work in India - a win-win for all!"

Instamaids/Instahelp is our answer to on-demand professional household help that we all need. We are thrilled to see the consumer response and support from well wishers.

As with all services on UC, we will build it with obsession for both customer service and partner dignity. We… https://t.co/Tl1J0yKnMs

— Varun Khaitan (@varunkhaitan) March 14, 2025

However, the launch of 'Insta Maids' has sparked a discussion online. While some users welcomed the move, others said that the service was a violation of human rights. Some users also debated on the usage of the word "maid" in the name of the service. 

"India desperately needs an army of blue collar domestic workers. There is a need and there is ample supply. Good step @urbancompany_UC also go for baby sitting services," wrote one user. "Good move and most needed. Please be generous about price so that a middle class people can afford it for a long time," commented another. 

Also Read | Starbucks To Pay $50 Million To Delivery Driver Burned From Hot Beverage

However, one user said, "This is violation of Human rights , stop exploiting cheap labour in the name of "Innovation" and shit." 

"Indian start ups have started building apps just to match demand with supply with the expertise level of a 12th grade cs students and they call it innovation just because they have cheap labour to exploit," commented another. 

"Expected better from Urban Company. :/ Has no one told them that the term "Maid" is outdated, gendered and in general derogatory? Also, what's with the visuals on the ad," one user said.