‘If System Was Unfair…’: Deepinder Goyal Defends Gig Economy After Workers' Strike

Delivery platform founder Deepinder Goyal defended India’s gig economy, arguing that a system that is fundamentally unfair would not be able to attract and retain large numbers of workers, after delivery partners’ unions held a nationwide strike on December 31.

Deepinder Goyal said that Zomato and its quick-commerce arm Blinkit clocked their highest-ever number of deliveries on New Year’s Eve, despite calls for work stoppages by sections of gig workers.

“One thought for everyone: if a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it,” Deepinder Goyal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), cautioning against what he described as “narratives pushed by vested interests”.

Record

Deliveries Despite Strike, Deepinder Goyal Says

Deepinder Goyal said that more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners across Zomato and Blinkit delivered over 75 lakh orders to more than 63 lakh customers in a single day- an all-time high for the platforms.

Deepinder Goyal said the record deliveries were completed without any additional incentives for delivery partners, adding that while New Year’s Eve typically sees higher incentives than normal days, this year was no different from previous New Year’s periods.

“Over 4.5 lakh delivery partners showed up for work,” he said, calling their participation significant and not negligible.

‘10-Minute Promise Not About Speeding’

In a follow-up post, Deepinder Goyal addressed concerns around Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery promise, pushing back against criticism that such timelines encourage unsafe driving.

“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 said.

Deepinder Goyal said delivery partners do not even see the promised delivery time on their apps.

“Delivery partners don’t even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the customer,” he added.

Explaining the process, he said orders are typically picked and packed within about 2.5 minutes, after which riders travel an average distance of under two kilometres in about eight minutes, translating to an average speed of around 15 kmph.

‘Hard To Imagine The Complexity’

Deepinder Goyal acknowledged public concern around safety, saying the criticism stems from a lack of understanding of how the system works.

“I understand why everybody thinks 10 minutes must be risking lives, because it is indeed hard to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design which enables quick deliveries,” he wrote.

He also urged sceptics to speak directly to delivery partners.

“If you’ve ever wanted to know why millions of Indians voluntarily take up platform work and sometimes even prefer it to regular jobs, just ask any rider partner when you get your next food or grocery order,” he said, adding, “You will be humbled by how rational and honest they will be with you.”

‘No System Is Perfect’

While defending the gig economy, Deepinder Goyal said platforms remain open to improvement.

“No system is perfect, and we are all for making it better than today,” he said, adding that the sector is “far from what it is being portrayed on social media by people who don’t understand how our system works and why”.

“If I were outside the system, I would also believe that gig workers are being exploited, but that’s not true,” he added.