Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal has mounted a strong defence of the gig work model and shared a five-point rebuttal in the face of rising criticism and concern for food delivery workers following the strikes on December 25 and 31.
Addressing one of the most frequently cited criticisms - low pay, Goyal said delivery partners on Zomato saw a rise in hourly earnings in 2025. According to him, the average earnings per hour, excluding tips, stood at Rs 102 in 2025, up from Rs 92 in 2024. “That's a ~10.9 percent year-on-year increase.”
He added that while most partners work only a few hours a day for a limited number of days each month, a full-time equivalent calculation shows that earnings can be higher.
“If someone were to work for 10 hours/day, 26 days/month, this translates to ~Rs 26,500/month in gross earnings,” Goyal wrote. After fuel and maintenance costs of about 20 percent, monthly net earnings would be around Rs 21,000, he said.
Goyal also highlighted tipping as an additional income stream, writing that delivery partners “earn 100 percent of tips given by customers,” with “zero deductions” and instant transfers.
Delivery Partners “Not Overworked”
Goyal's second point was that gig work is designed as supplementary income instead of a full-time job. He said data from 2025 shows the average delivery partner worked just 38 days in the year, logging about seven hours per working day.
“Only 2.3 percent of partners worked more than 250 days in the year,” he wrote, adding, “Demanding full-time employee benefits like PF, or guaranteed salaries for gig roles doesn't align with what the model is built for.”
He said that delivery partners are not assigned shifts or fixed locations, and they decide when to log in, when to log out and where to operate within a city.
10-Minute Deliveries “Does Not Put Pressure On Gig Workers”
On safety concerns, Goyal rejected the notion that faster delivery promises encourage reckless driving. He said delivery partners are not shown customer-facing delivery timers and are not pushed to meet countdowns.
According to company data, the average distance per order on Blinkit in 2025 was just over two kilometres, with an average driving time of around eight minutes. This implies an average speed of roughly 16 km/h. On Zomato, average speeds were about 21 km/h, despite longer delivery windows.
Goyal acknowledged that road safety was a challenge but said it requires “shared responsibility across road builders, rule enforcers, customers and delivery partners alike.”
“Over Rs 100 crore” Spent On Welfare Benefits
Goyal also pointed to welfare measures in place, saying Zomato and Blinkit spent over Rs 100 crore in 2025 on insurance coverage for delivery partners. These premiums are fully borne by the company, with benefits processed quickly, he said.
Coverage includes accident insurance of up to Rs 10 lakh, medical insurance with hospitalisation and OPD benefits, loss-of-pay coverage and maternity insurance.
Support “Beyond Insurance”
Beyond insurance, Goyal highlighted support initiatives, including two paid rest days per month for women delivery partners, income tax filing assistance and access to a gig-specific version of the National Pension Scheme.
He said over 95,000 delivery partners have used tax filing support, while 54,000 have enrolled in the pension scheme to build long-term retirement savings. An SOS service is also available for emergencies such as accidents, vehicle breakdowns or theft.
Goyal asked, “Now tell me, is this unfair?”
Here's Goyal's post:
Facts below (1/5):
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 2, 2026
In 2025, average earnings per hour (EPH), excluding tips, for a delivery partner on Zomato were ₹102.
In 2024, this number was ₹92. That's a ~10.9% year-on-year increase. Over a longer horizon also, EPH has shown steady growth.
Most delivery partners work…
Concluding his post, Goyal said that for a largely part-time, unskilled role with no entry barriers, the gig model offers a fair trade-off between flexibility and income.
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