• SOURAV PATTANAYAK
• SRINAGESH BATHULA
• POTEDAR NIHARIKA

Jaleswar is a small town which is located in the northern part of Odisha. This town has shaped more by daily hustlers rather than corporate presence. This absence of formal economy has led the inhabitants of this town to depend more upon gig economy for sustainable livelihood. This work critically investigates the spatial vulnerability dynamics of street vendors in Jaleswar Town by integrating a gravity-based interaction modelling framework grounded in Reilly’s Law of Retail Gravitation. This research is relied on primary survey data of 96 vendors across Jaleswar’s market zone. The information from the survey data has been used to calculate the stress%, strain% and vulnerability ratio of each vendor. In this study Reilly’s theoretical formulation has been used for the calculation of vendor–market interaction index i.e. I=A×B/D². Here A stands for vulnerability score, B represents market mass and D reflects the vendor’s distance from the main market centre. In this work, GIS analysis has been used to calculate and map all the indices of interaction index, i.e. A, B, D, I, vulnerability and breaking point (BP). This research work reveals that the shifts in vulnerability depends upon the closeness to the market especially within the gig economy. The study is based on a scientific framework and the findings are offering valuable insights for urban planners to implement location-sensitive interventions and promote more stable livelihoods for street vendors in Jaleswar Town.

Gig Economy, Gravity Model, Jaleswar, Reilly’s Gravity Theory, Street Vendors and Vulnerability

" GRAVITY AND VULNERABILITY IN THE GIG ECONOMY: A SPATIAL INTERACTION ANALYSIS OF JALESWAR TOWN, BALASORE DISTRICT, ODISHA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 10, page no.c30-c45, October-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2610206.pdf

" GRAVITY AND VULNERABILITY IN THE GIG ECONOMY: A SPATIAL INTERACTION ANALYSIS OF JALESWAR TOWN, BALASORE DISTRICT, ODISHA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 10, page no. ppc30-c45, October-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2610206.pdf