Yes, a debatable topic, isn't it?

And you're right. The data is mostly US numbers and may not reflect Indian conditions accurately (I've edited that point now). But the fact is that freelancing is definitely growing in India too - whether it overtakes 9-5 or not is something to be seen. Also, as James Bellerjeau pointed out in a comment here, many jobs won't fit in a gig economy so that aspect has to be considered too.