'Insta Maids' is now 'Insta Help': Urban Company changes qcomm service name after netizens react

Urban Company has rebranded its 15-minute house-help booking service from ‘Insta Maids’ to ‘Insta Help’ following social media criticism and backlash from several employee unions over its perceived exploitative work model.

The company announced the name change on X, stating, “Words matter. That’s why Insta Maids is now Insta Help - because dignity, respect, and progress start with the name, and go beyond. Thank you for your feedback and for helping us make this change.”



The company further justified entering this service sector by describing it as a “step towards formalising and uplifting a traditionally unorganised industry.”

Insta Maids, now Insta Help, offers a range of services including cleaning, sweeping, mopping, and cooking, among other household tasks.

According to the company’s statement, its service partners earn up to Rs 150-180 per hour (Rs 20,000-25,000 per month), along with benefits such as free health coverage.

However, the hourly wage for the househelp service starts at Rs 49, a rate many users have criticised as unfair.

One user commented under the post, “Pay your workers a living wage.”

Another user criticised the use of the term "maid", asking, “Has no one told them that the term 'maid' is outdated, gendered and in general derogatory?”

Criticisms also came from several associations, including the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, which argued that Urban Company's 15-minute maid booking service "is a blatant exploitation of gig platform domestic workers," as the model prioritises "speed over dignity and worsens working conditions."