Pronto has introduced an optional camera-based service aimed at improving service quality and generating data for AI-driven robotics. The feature records only the worker’s hands and tasks, excludes audio, and retains footage for up to 48 hours before deletion. The move has drawn praise for quality control and concern over privacy and worker rights.
Rapid growth under a 10-minute model
Founded in April 2024 by Anjali Sardana, Pronto offers household services such as cleaning, dishwashing, laundry and kitchen prep. The company operates through local hubs covering about a 3 km radius to ensure quick arrivals.
Pronto employs workers on fixed shifts rather than gig-by-gig assignments, providing steadier incomes and regular hours. The platform reports 872 active professionals, about 99% women. Each worker completes roughly seven jobs daily and earns between ₹23,000 and ₹25,000 a month. Monthly worker retention is above 70%.
Daily bookings rose from roughly 1,000 in August 2025 to nearly 18,000 by March 2026. Around half of bookings come from Delhi NCR, with Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune contributing significantly. Average customer spend is ₹200–₹300 per job, and Pronto’s commission ranges from 20% to 25%.
The company recently raised $20 million, doubling its valuation to $200 million.
How Pronto Verified works
Pronto Verified is optional for customers and workers. Customers pay an extra fee — from ₹25 for 30 minutes to ₹119 for 90 minutes — to record a session. Workers wear a small forehead camera that films hands and the task area; audio is not recorded. Videos are device-encrypted, faces and personal details are blurred, and files are deleted after 48 hours.
Workers in the pilot are paid double their usual wage, with the company indicating that pay could rise to three times normal levels in future phases.
Privacy, consent and job security concerns
Privacy experts note that deletion of source videos does not erase what an AI model may learn from them. Once used in training, information can become embedded in model behaviour and is difficult to remove.
Questions have also been raised about voluntary consent. Higher pay may influence participation decisions among low-income workers. Household members, children or visitors could be recorded without explicit consent, adding another layer of risk.
Some competitors in the home services sector have publicly ruled out using wearable cameras in customers’ homes.
Broader implications
Pronto argues first-person recordings provide realistic data for training physical AI systems and future robots. Experts say such data can accelerate automation but also heightens the need for reskilling and vocational training across India’s workforce.
The Pronto Verified rollout highlights the tension between service innovation, data-driven AI development, worker protections and personal privacy—issues likely to shape policy and industry practices going forward.
