Zomato Gig Workers See 10.9% Pay Rise; Founder Defends Flexibility as Core Model

According to Goyal, average hourly earnings for delivery partners at Zomato increased by approximately 10.9 per cent year-on-year in 2025, reaching Rs 102 compared to Rs 92 in 2024, according to data shared by him . The figures, which exclude tips, reflect a steady growth in earnings over a longer horizon for the gig workforce.

Goyal on X shared the financial structure of the gig model. He noted that if a partner works for 10 hours a day for 26 days a month, the gross earnings translate to approximately Rs 26,500. After accounting for roughly 20 per cent in fuel and maintenance costs, net earnings stand at about Rs 21,000 per month. These calculations are based on total logged-in hours, including waiting time.

Goyal highlighted the flexible nature of the work, with the average delivery partner on Zomato working 38 days in 2025 and averaging seven hours per working day. Only 2.3 per cent of partners worked more than 250 days during the year. Goyal stated that "demanding full-time employee benefits like PF, or guaranteed salaries for gig roles doesn't align with what the model is built for," adding that the system provides a "flexible, stop-gap earning option" rather than a long-term lock-in.

Addressing safety concerns regarding quick commerce, Goyal clarified that 10-minute delivery promises do not pressure workers to drive unsafely. Delivery partners are not shown customer-facing time promises or countdown timers. The speed of delivery is attributed to store proximity rather than road speed. In 2025, the average distance per Blinkit order was 2.03 km with an average driving speed of 16 km/h, while Zomato saw average speeds of 21 km/h.

According to Goyal, Zomato and Blinkit spent over Rs 100 crore on insurance premiums for partners in 2025. This includes accident insurance up to Rs 10 lakh, medical coverage of Rs 1 lakh, and loss of pay insurance. Additional support includes two period rest days per month for women, income tax filing assistance for 95,000 partners, and National Pension Scheme enrollment for 54,000 workers.

Goyal emphasized that partners have the freedom to choose their work areas and log-in times without assigned shifts or geographies. He characterized the platform as offering a reliable source of secondary income with zero barriers to entry. "Flexibility isn't incidental to the gig model, it is the whole point," he stated, "Now tell me, is this unfair? Especially for an unskilled job, which is largely part time, and has zero barriers to entry."

Earlier, prominent investor and Naukri.com founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani weighed into the debate on gig workers praising Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal's comments on the one-day gig workers' strike while taking an indirect jab at those alleging that these workers were being exploited.

In response to Goyal's post on X, Bikhchandani wrote, "Very well written Deepinder Goyal. Every word is true. It beggars belief that a Champagne Socialist who married a film star and had a designer wedding in Udaipur and a first wedding anniversary in Maldive has the audacity to then shed crocodile tears around alleged exploitation of gig workers. Aam Aadmi my foot," the 'X' post said.

The founder of Info Edge was taking an apparent dig at the AAP MP Raghav Chadha without naming him.

Earlier, Goyal had defended the gig economy, arguing that it shattered centuries of invisibility for labourers, stating that, for the first time, workers, delivery partners, riders, and others interact directly with consumers on a large scale. He mentioned that makes inequality personal, which is why the gig economy sparks discomfort and heated debates.

Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav has publically called to ban 10-minute delivery apps, claiming that companies have been oppressing gig workers and shooting up their evaluations on their backs, enriching only the companies.

- ANI