Delivery Platforms Log Record Festive Orders Despite Gig Workers’ Strike

Despite over 2 Lakh gig workers logging off nationwide on the New Year’s Eve strike, Eternal chief Deepinder Goyal, business for Zomato and Blinkit remained unaffected

As per Goyal, the protests were orchestrated by a "small number of miscreants", a claim that has been heavily contested by gig worker unions

At the heart of the issue are gig workers' qualms that their earnings have become increasingly unstable, with per-order payouts steadily declining and often failing to cover fuel, vehicle maintenance and repair costs

The long-standing face-off between gig workers and quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto came to a head in the last week of 2025, with the workers going on strikes on two of the busiest days for the platforms – December 25 and 31.

However, according to Eternal chief Deepinder Goyal, business for Zomato and Blinkit remained unaffected. “Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check, enabling 4.5 Lakh+ delivery partners across both platforms to deliver more than 75 Lakh orders (all-time high) to over 63 Lakh customers during the day,” Goyal said in a social media post, giving an update about the business on December 31.

Similar to Goyal’s claims, Swiggy Instamart CEO Amitesh Jha said that the platform facilitated deliveries beyond essentials on December 31. He added that categories such as party supplies, gifting essentials, snacks and beverages, beauty, personal care, and grooming saw immense traction on the quick commerce platform.

The TGPWU alleged that Swiggy and Zomato framed the peaceful strike as a law and order problem, “with police action used as an implicit threat”. The platforms engaged with law enforcement officials in cities like Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to take action against “miscreants who illegally obstruct delivery partners while they are on duty”, Salauddin said, citing letters sent by the platforms to delivery partners in some of the cities.

The use of the term “miscreants” by Goyal created further furore on social media. Earlier today, he also posted a few videos on social media in which unidentified persons can be seen trying to stop executives from delivering orders.

On the ground, interactions with gig workers in Delhi on December 31 suggested reluctance to join the strike, as many feared losing earnings on one of the busiest days of the year.

Notably, the quick commerce and food delivery platforms offer higher incentives on festive days like December 31 to cater to the demand. Goyal said that the record delivery of orders happened without any additional incentives for delivery partners. “NYE does see higher incentives than usual days and yesterday was no different than the past NYE days,” he wrote.

Against the backdrop of the strike, it is important to understand what lies at the heart of the dispute.

Gig workers say their earnings have become increasingly unstable, with per-order payouts steadily declining and often failing to cover fuel, vehicle maintenance and repair costs. Lack of insurance coverage for their vehicles is also a key concern, given the nature of their work on the road.

Unions have also flagged that delivery targets create pressure and raise accident risks. Despite working full time, gig workers remain classified as independent contractors, leaving them without minimum wages, paid leave, health insurance, accident cover or pensions.

Adding to the precarity are opaque app-based controls, where ratings or algorithmic penalties can lead to sudden account blocks and loss of income. Unions continue to demand formal recognition under labour laws.

Besides, the unions are seeking an end to 10-15 minute deliveries. Gig workers also allege that quick commerce platforms offer lower per-order payouts while demanding higher availability during peak hours. Dark store clustering also means frequent short-distance trips with minimal incentives, pushing riders to complete more orders to earn the same income. Unions argue that the speed-first model prioritises customer experience and platform growth, while shifting risk, costs and accountability entirely onto delivery partners.

“I understand why everybody thinks that 10 minutes must be risking lives, because it is indeed hard to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design which enables quick deliveries… Having said that, no system is perfect, and we are all for making it better than today. However, it is far from what it is being portrayed on social media by people who don’t understand how our system works and why,” he said.

It is pertinent to note that the 10-minute delivery promise has come under scrutiny multiple times in the past as well. Last month, AAP MP Raghav Chadha called for a ban on quick commerce deliveries, terming such deliveries as “cruelty”. He noted that the pressure of delivery-time targets, customer harassment and hazardous working conditions were pushing riders to make dangerous choices.

The quick commerce industry, which started off as an offshoot of ecommerce deliveries, has emerged as one of the largest standalone industries coming from the Indian startup ecosystem since 2024.

Quick commerce is poised to become a $40 Bn market opportunity by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 37%.

While platforms like Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart dominate the sector as of now, Amazon, Flipkart and BigBasket are also aggressively expanding their 10-minute offerings.

At a time when the industry is scaling rapidly, the Centre notified the four new labour codes in November. Earlier this week, the Centre released the draft rules under the new code.

The draft rules propose welfare benefits for gig and platform workers engaged for at least 90 days in a year. For workers active across multiple platforms, the eligibility threshold is set at 120 days, with workdays counted cumulatively across apps. Workers will be considered employed from the day they start earning, even if engaged through third parties.

The rules mandate health, life and accident insurance and registration under ‘Ayushman Bharat’. The draft rules are open for public consultation.