Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal pushes back on gig worker strike calls, defends 10-minute delivery model

Rejecting claims of exploitation, he said, “If a system were fundamentally unfair, it wouldnot consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it."

Zomato and Blinkit founder Deepinder Goyal on January 1 responded to criticism of the gig economy and recent strike calls by delivery workers', saying platform operations continued at record levels and rejecting claims that ultra-fast delivery timelines compromise rider safety or fairness.

In a series of posts on X, Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit delivered “at a record pace” on New Year’s Eve and were “unaffected by calls for strikes”. He said more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners completed over 75 lakh orders for more than 63 lakh customers, marking an all-time high for the platforms.

Goyal credited support from local law enforcement for preventing disruptions, stating that authorities helped keep “a small number of miscreants in check”. He added that delivery partners “showed up despite intimidation” and that no incentives beyond standard New Year’s Eve payouts were offered.

Zomato offered payouts of Rs 120–150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and midnight and promised earnings of up to Rs 3,000 for the day, depending on demand and availability. Swiggy also announced higher incentives, offering delivery workers earnings of up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1.

Addressing criticism of 10-minute deliveries, Goyal said the model is driven by system design rather than rider behaviour. “Our 10 minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It’s not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast,” he wrote. He said delivery partners do not see customer delivery timelines on their apps and are not operating against countdown timers.

According to Goyal, Blinkit orders are picked and packed in about 2.5 minutes, followed by rides averaging under 2 km at speeds of around 15 kmph. Rejecting claims of exploitation, he said, “If a system were fundamentally unfair, it wouldn't consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it.” He described the gig economy as “one of India’s largest organised job creation engines”.

His remarks received support online, with users arguing that delivery speed comes from backend logistics and neighbourhood store density, not reckless riding, and that platform work provides income opportunities at scale, often as supplementary employment.

Goyal’s response came after gig workers associated with platforms such as Zomato, Blinkit, Swiggy and Amazon staged strikes on December 25 and December 31, demanding better pay, improved labour conditions, social security coverage and a rollback of ultra-fast delivery promises.